And the Beat Goes On and On: Music Festivals!

More food festival posts!?! Nope, this time: music festivals! So come on, get your hands up!!

image bumbershoot.org/

A little article in CNN drummed out a few suggestions that I've outlined here:

June 2: Hot 97 Summer Jam

East Rutherford, NJ

Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan, Fabolous, Wale and Miguel

June 7-9: Governor's Ball

New York, NY

Kanye West, possibly Guns N' Roses, Lumineers, Kendrick Lamar and Kings of Leon

June 13-16: Bonnaroo

Manchester, TN

Paul McCartney, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, David Byrne, Mumford & Sons, Wilco, The Lumineers, Björk, R. Kelly, Wu-Tang Clan

June 21-23: Firefly Music Festival

Dover, DE

Alabama Shakes, Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Vampire Weekend

July 4-7: Essence Music Festival

New Orleans, LA

Beyonce, Jill Scott, Keyshia Cole, LL Cool J, Maxwell, and Brandy

Aug. 2-4: Lollapalooza

Chicago, IL

Phoenix, Lana Del Rey, Queens of the Stone Age, The Cure, The Killers, The National, The Postal Service, Nine Inch Nails, Grizzly Bear and Ellie Goulding

Aug. 9-11: Outside Lands

San Francisco, CA

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend and Willie Nelson

Aug. 31-Sept. 2: Bumbershoot

Seattle, WA

Death Cab for Cutie, MGMT, Bob Mould, The Breeders, Matt & Kim and Heart

Aug. 31-Sept. 1: Budweiser Made in America

Philadelphia, PA

Beyonce, Public Enemy, Phoenix, Emeli Sande, Deadmau5, Wiz Khalifa, Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Get Your Nosh On! Festivals Close to the DMV Where You Can Enjoy Some Good Eats

The memories of this Memorial Day Holiday weekend's BBQ is still fresh in my mind but I'm already in search for events to nosh on more finger lickin' BBQ, and of course, listen to some good homegrown music, sample quenching libations, and continue the official kickoff of summer! Here's your chance to roam outside the Cube Farm!

Pen down these opportunities to fill up your summer schedule--all within a few hours of the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia area):

June 6-9: 37th Annual AT&T Norfolk Harborfest

Norfolk, Va.

image from festevents.org

Head down to Norfolk’s historic waterfront for four days of food (AT&T HarborFEAST Seafood Sampler!), bands (O.A.R headlines one night), and boats! There’s something for everyone, including a cornhole tournament! There's plenty of history learning, eating, shopping, and fireworks gazing!

June 14-15: Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival

National Harbor, Md.

image from beerandbourbon.com

I can't dig far back enough in my dresser to find those daisy dukes but if you can pull it off, you could win $100 and be crowned Ms. BBQ Babe! (I'm talking to the ladies of course!) For the guys who are interested in being more than a BBQ Babe spectator (or maybe even some of you ladies), there's a bean eating contest! And you won't go thirsty with 60 different beers and 40 bourbons to sample. The VIP Bacon Session is already sold out but you can still get your hands on festival tickets. 

June 20- 23: 24th Annual AT&T Bayou Boogaloo & Cajun FoodFestival

Norfolk, Va.

image from festevents.org

Get your Bayou fix a little closer to home with some Cajun food, bands, and New Orleans very own Abita beer! Don't miss this "second line" experience!

June 21: Franklin County Strings & Spirits Festival

Franklin County, Va.

image from franklincountyfestival.com

Pack your lawn chairs and head for the hills! There will be strings strumming out tunes and spirits flying from local breweries and wineries. 

June 22: BBQ, Bands & Brews

Fluvaana County, Va.

image from BBQ, Bands & Brews Facebook page

Mmm, I can already smell some serious BBQ in my future! The event, in its second year, will again include a BBQ competition, in which the winners (like the 2012 KCBS champ, 3 Eyze BBQ) will be eligible for the largest BBQ contest in the world—the American Royal Invitational—and get a chance to be part of the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational lottery—where they can showcase their best smokin’ skills. Check  out their Facebook page!

I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty hungry and thirsty...

When Pigs Fly! (Caution: If you don't like seeing dead animals, don't open...)

... or just when they're high! Story headline from NPR: Washington State Butcher Spikes Pig Feed With Weed ... need I say more?

William von Schneidau, a butcher at the infamous Pike Place Market in Seattle, feeds his little piggies pot trimmings from an organic dispensary, before turning the into fine prosciutto. I'm all about re-purposing and I guess this is a good way to be less wasteful!

William von Schneidau with a pot pig. Photo from NPR

Let's Get Testicle, Testicle... At the Testy Fest!

I lived in Colorado for nearly eight years and I sadly I admit that I only remember one occasion--albeit a little fuzzy memory--when I ate a Rocky Mountain Oyster. This special oyster is not really an oyster at all but little morsels of fried bull's testicles. (They're also known as Prairie Eggs and Cowboy Caviar.) Rocky Mountain Oysters are not uncommon in Colorado or states out West but here in the Mid-Atlantic, its popularity is most likely only among those who know what they are or self-proclaimed adventurous foodies.

photo from www.yeity.com

You Ask, "Where Can I Get a Mouthful?"

You're in luck if you're in the DC metro area this weekend! You can eat all the bull's balls as you want at this Saturday's 8th Annual Testicle Festival, hosted by the Montana State Society. Your admission includes unlimited testy treats AND unlimited beer and whiskey. It's seriously a great Life Outside the Cube Farm experience!

image from www.montanastatesociety.com

Tiny House, Big Bliss

And you thought your cube was small... Check out this teeny tiny house! It's only 140 square feet! Some of your closets at home are bigger than this. What I love is that the builders made this home by hand and has adjusted really nicely to living this way. Here's what the builder Malissa said about it:

Biggest Challenge of Living in a Small Space

Adjusting to living in a more simple and relaxed way. My husband and I were so accustomed to feeling rushed and worried in life, until we moved into our home 1.5 years ago, but the transition has been successful! We couldn't imagine being anywhere else in life!

I think it's the perfect solution to living Outside the Cube Farm. Would you trade in the rat race for this? I would!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

It was beautiful weekend which was great for doing some much needed gardening but all that greatness ate into grilling time. So Hubby and I did not get a chance to try out new grilling recipes. Instead, he brought home rotisserie chicken. I. Love. Rotisserie. Chicken. I can eat it for days but my Hubby gets bored with it after one meal. My plea to him to continue eating rotisserie chicken for another meal: There's almost a whole chicken left! But after some negotiation about dinner options, we came to this compromise: He'd eat more rotisserie chicken if I could make a different meal with it.

So, it ended up being shredded chicken taco night! With a side of cilantro rice. It was great and we were happy.

Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

Recipe and photo from chindeep.com

Ten More Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

If you're like me, rotisserie chicken never becomes boring. But if you're like my Hubby, here 10 meal ideas for using rotisserie chicken:

Rotisserie Chicken Peanut Noodles

Recipe and photo from keyingredient.com

Rotisserie Chicken and Waffles

Recipe and photo from erecipecards.blogspot.com

Easy Chicken and Couscous Dinner Skillet

Recipe and photo from kevinandamanda.com

Chicken Bahn Mi 

Recipe and photo from epicurious.com

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

Recipe and photo from epicurious.com

Cheesy Chicken and Tomato Bruschetta Turnovers

Recipe and photo from family.go.com

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken Tortilla Soup

Recipe and photo from cooksmarts.com

BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins

Recipe and photo from howsweeteats.com

Grilled Pizza With (Rotisserie) Chicken and Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

Recipe and photo from tastefullyjulie.com

Rotisserie Pulled Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Recipe and photo from tidymom.net

Get Your Grillin' On!

This weekend is suppose to be a balmy 67 degrees with sunshine in the Mid-Atlantic region which means great weather for grillin! (Sorry Colorado and the upper Midwest--snow in May?) I asked my husband what he wanted to grill and he returned the question to me. "I don't know," was my response. I really didn't.

The only thing I knew was that I didn't want burgers, tubeshaped meats, and the occasional steak, fish, shrimp and beer can chicken. We do get creative sometimes but this time I was stumped. So, what's a girl to do? Think outside the cube farm, err box, of course! These are just a few ideas I'm going to put on the possibilities list. Let me know if you try any or get inspired to make something of your own. I'll report back on my success--or whether we end up going out to eat!

Bon apettit!

Pinoy Pork Barbecue

Recipe from filipino-food-lovers.com

photo from filipino-food-lovers.com

Grilled Lobster Tails with Nectarine-Lime Sauce

Recipe from countryliving.com

photo from countryliving.com

Grilled Kale Salad With Toasted Sesame Seeds

Recipe from sunset.com

photo from sunset.com

Rum-Spiked Grilled Pineapple with Toasted Coconut

Recipe from myrecipes.com

photo from MyRecipes.com

Grill-Roasted Apple and Pumpkin Bisque

Recipe from weber.com

photo from weber.com

Grilled Veggie Pizza

Recipe from tasteofhome.com

Seriously, are you back this time?

Ok, I kinda suck. I know I said I would keep this blog alive but obviously I've been under a rock since my last post. Thanks to my friend P for reminding that I need to post. After all, I did start this blog to remind myself that's there is life outside of work, aka the Cube Farm.

skiptomylou.org

So, today is May Day! And all around the Northern Hemisphere, people are celebrating--some formally with festivals and carnivals to ring in spring--and others with organized activities for political reasons. For me, May Day = May Day Baskets. As a kid I used to make them out of paper and fill them with flowers that I picked (no doubt right off the ground form our neighbor's yard) and leave them (secretly) on doorsteps. Nowadays, I'm not sure what kids do--leaving things on anyone's doorway and running seems to me a sure way to get a BB gun pellet in your back. Ouch! I guess if I could choose my May Day celebration now, it would be in Hawaii where they celebrate Lei Day. Yes, thank you for the lei and mai tai!

airservicehawaii.com

May Day is just one reason to celebrate. There are plenty of others--just a few to get you started on your May planning:

• May 5: Cinco de Mayo
• May 7: National Teacher Day
• May 12: Mother's Day
• May 18: Armed Forces Day
• May 27: Memorial Day

dc.about.com

And if a day just isn't enough, how about these monthly observances?

• National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
• National Mediterranean Diet Month (who knew?!)
• National Bike Month: Or join thousands of others in the nationals Ride Your Bike to Work Week/Day (May 13-17/May 17)!

visitmaryland.org

virginia.gov

There's still time to catch Yoga on the National Mall!

washingtonpost.com

Go! Live! Outside. The. Cube. Farm!

Be HAPPY!

Hello World! How are you? It feels great to say HELLO again and I'm looking forward to keeping this blog alive! So, for the first post in like a gazillion years, I'd like to give you an assignment: Do ONE thing that makes you happy today!

Why? Because in my 15 minute walk outside the Cube Farm, I came across a few guys who probably had a hundred more reasons to be unhappy than most of us but they weren't. Isn't there a saying like this "happiness is infectious"?...if so, I guess I caught a bit of it from them!

AND, did you know it's the United Nations International Day of Happiness? Yep, it is! Check out the Day of Happiness website for all sorts of ways to add a little more happy into your life and how to give happiness back!

Source: www.dayofhappiness.net

So GO, take action. And what act of happiness will you do?

Happy Friday! These are the funniest WTF 50 animal photos!

What a fun way to start my Friday. Enjoy LOL!

50. This cat mirror shot.

49. This dude under a bunch of chickens.

48. This pug riding a pony.

47. This interaction.

46. This selfie.

45. Whatever this is.

44. This dog that doesn't look like a dog.

SEE THE ENTIRE LINE UP

Looking at cute animals really does help reduce stress!

Gosh, animals do cute things.

Please, remember your manners. Thank you.

First, I want to apologize to the cab driver I p-$$ed off the other night. I'm sorry that my big mouth got belligerent. I hope you don't think everyone who comes from an open-bar, cocktail party, dressed in 4-inch stilettos and attitude, are all discourteous and rude. I let Gin get the best of me. And I'm sorry for what I said.

With that said, I've noticed lately that some people just have bad manners. I see it almost everywhere: places I dine, shop, commute, work, and sometimes, unfortunately, with people I know. I'm guilty of it too, I admit it (not the nose picking part by the way). And so, as a reminder, please, please, take the time to get re-acquainted with these good manners:

Someone Call the Cute Police!

Our precious lab mix is very cute and she does a lot of cute things, but holy crap, this sleeping bulldog puppy takes the blue ribbon today!!!