I also did a bunch of this…

*Photo by LauReality.

Mixed with this…

All with this person…

Yeah, we had a great weekend.  I will post some more pictures and get back to my usual entertaining (at least in my head) self later in the week.  Right now I need about 10 more hours of sleep and six Dr. Peppers.  First one to make that happen wins brownie points!

This week’s PhotoPie Challenge is favorite beverage.  It gives me a perfect excuse to go on and on about obsession with Dr. Pepper, the Nectar of the Gods.

I have always had a love for DP.  It was my soft drink of choice.  (Normally, I would call it my coke of choice, but I don’t want to confuse any Yankees.)  A few years back, I decided I could really reduce my calorie intake if I stopped drinking so much DP.  Not being able to completely abandon my addiction, I switched to Diet Dr. Pepper.  Sure, it gave me my caffeine fix, but it will never be “just like regular.”  Trust me there is something diet about it.

Every once in awhile, in a moment of weakness or a deal to good to pass up, I indulge myself with the real thing.  Recently, I discovered the real, real thing was available right under my nose!  This is getting complicated so let me back up.

Dr. Pepper was originally bottled in 1885 in Waco, TX.  Back in the day, all soft drinks were sweetened with pure cane sugar, but in the 1980s sugar prices sky-rocketed and most U.S. soft drinks started using high fructose corn syrup.  The Dr. Pepper bottling plant in Dublin, TX refused to make the switch and still to this day produces pure cane sugar Dr. Pepper.

A little history lesson, don’t you feel enlightened now?  Now back to my point, I recently discovered the real, REAL thing was available right under my nose.  Right here,

Again, sorry to the Yankees, I don’t think they have Jason’s Deli up north.  For all the Texans and Oklahomans, you must go here now!  Jason’s Deli is on this kick to eliminate MSG, trans fat and high fructose corn syrup from all their products.  That last one is going to be tricky, but they started with serving Dublin Dr. Pepper!  I immediately died when I found this out, died and went to heaven that is.

Oh sweet Jesus, they don’t just serve it, they have it on tap.  When I win the lottery, I am going to install this in every room of my new mansion.  Don’t think I am kidding!

On the EmilyPie photo challenge though.  We were suppose to photograph our favorite beverage, preferably without the drool I demonstrated above, but I can’t help myself.

I submit to you sweet, icy Nectar of the Gods.

It was so good, I had to go get a second glass.

I also took home a to go cup, but I think I have done enough damage here.

So what is your favorite beverage?  And don’t forget to head over to EmilyPie and check out the other favorites, or submit your own!

(And don’t worry Yankees, if you want to purchase this wonderful beverage you can do so here.)

Is anyone celebrating this extra calendar day?  I think it should be declared a holiday.  For three years we go to work based on a 365 day calendar, but every fourth year we go to work based on a 366 day calendar.  Do I get an extra day off?  No!  Not even around the holidays.  There no extra vacation day added to my calendar.  There also isn’t any added pay to my paycheck.  I don’t get it.  For the sake of fairness it should be declared a holiday!

By the way, this also mean my birthday is one day later.  I think this year I am going to celebrate March 8 and 9, you know, just so my internal clock doesn’t get confused.

Did you know that in Scotland there is a law that women can propose to men on leap day?  All you single men might want to avoid Scotland today, because it is also a law that men can’t refuse a proposal on leap day!

So happy leap day!  Enjoy yourself a leap year cocktail:

Shake with ice and serve!

I did save the best part for last.  If you are sitting on an empty stomach right now, I suggest you come back later. 

The food.  Oh the food you can find in Dallas.  Now Oklahoma has some darn good food joints and I have established quite a few favorites in this state, but nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever compare to the food in Dallas.  Specifically the cheese fries.  I have tried desperately to find cheese fries and ranch dressing that compare to Snuffer’s.  They aren’t out there.  It has been one disappointing quest.  How good could cheese fries be?  Let me show you.

That is not even a great picture.  It was really low light, but still.  Do you see the cheesy goodness?  Do you see the bacon?  Do you see the ranch?  If I could figure out Snuffer’s secret ranch recipe and bottle it, well I wouldn’t be blogging anymore. 

And what is that is the background?  Oh yeah, spicy chicken strips.  The perfect compliment to the cheesy, bacony goodness.  Is there anything else that could make this meal so wonderful?  Funny you should ask.

Mmm, beer.  B and I had not had a cold one in awhile.  We went a little over board that night.  Can you blame us?  It was Texas beer. 

Sunday morning we slept in as late as the hotel would let us, and then some.  When we finally checked out, we made one last food stop.  There just happened to be a California Pizza Kitchen nearby.  Pizza always goes great with a hangover.

Now when it comes to pizza toppings, I have always been a little more adventurous than B.  See how fun mine looks?

See how ordinary B’s looks?

Now don’t get me wrong, his was still amazing, but mine was divine!  All kinds of white cheeses, bacon and spinach.  Yum.  

Did I or did I not save the best for last?  I am not lying about those cheese fries either.  If you are ever in the Dallas area, you must go to Snuffer’s and order the cheese fries.  I have to eat them at least once a year or my body starts to shut down.

So that concludes the awesomely amazing road trip, until I find more pictures to post.  We really did have a great time.  It almost makes me miss Dallas.  I said almost. 

Back to Saturday night, we went to our friend Will’s house to watch the game.  Will is a great cook and made some awesome fajitas.  I took a yummy seven layer dip over.  I was pretty proud of my dish, even though it was the easiest thing to make.  It turned out so pretty!  See:

Will also tried out a new drink on us.  It’s called Mistletoe.  B called it Koolaid with a punch.  I recommend this drink for holiday parties!  Here is the recipe:

Juice of half a lime
1 1/2 oz Rum
1/2 oz grenadine
top with ginger ale

Does it not look yummy!

If you try the drink be sure to let me know!