Category Archives: Food & Cooking

Mar 25 2013
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Irish Cream Cookies in 20 minutes

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Happy Monday morning loves.  As promised Saturday night via Twitter I am sharing the recipe for these delicious and very soft Irish Cream Cookies that I found on Organized Island. I don’t drink alcohol, but I love the taste of coffee so I figured that sweet, chewy, coffee flavoured cookies had to be fabulous – and they are.

These cookies are not so heavy that you feel the need to sleep after eating a few and they don’t have the bitter aftertaste of alcohol – these cookies are just the perfect combination of sweet and light.  You can eat these Irish Cream Cookies after dinner as dessert or you can have them for breakfast with your tea or coffee.

These Irish Cream Cookies only take a few minutes to make, the batter tastes great uncooked and you don’t need a lot of ingredients.  Actually I already had most of the ingredients left over from my homemade banana bread recipe that I made a few weeks ago, the only item that I needed to buy was the Bailey’s.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking. As always, don’t forget to share your pics on Twitter. We love to see what you are up to!

What you’ll need to make Irish Cream Cookies:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup Irish Cream

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

How to do bake in 5 easy steps:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla and Irish Cream

- Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add to butter mixture

- Drop onto greased cookie sheet by 1″ balls. Flatten before baking

- Bake 14-16 minutes until golden on the bottom

Feb 4 2013
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Blueberry Muffins a la Bethenny

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No you didn’t read that wrong, my name is Tahnya Kristina but this weekend I baked blueberry muffins with a recipe by Bethenny Frankel and I want to share.

I am not an accomplished baker, so when I am in the mood to bake I need a recipe that is sweet and simple.  I have been a huge fan of Bethenny Frankel ever since she was a Real Housewife of New York City and I have been following her along the Skinnygirl journey.

I love this recipe for Blueberry Muffins because it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, it makes the perfect portion and it only takes 30 minutes.  Do you remember last month’s cupcake disaster?  I bought a cupcake kit from the supermarket and ended up making 24 cupcakes for a household of only two people.  Needless to say I threw out approximately 18 cupcakes.

The beauty of baking recipes from scratch is the portion control.  This recipe makes 8 cupcakes, so try it out and don’t forget to tweet me your pics. I made some substitutions to the ingredients because I didn’t want to go shopping for ingredients that I would never use again.  You can save money by substituting ingredients that you already have at home.

You will need:

1 ¼ cups oat flour I used all purpose flour

¾ cup raw sugar I used brown sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder (the small spoon)

¼ tsp salt

½ cup soy milk I used 1% milk

2 Tbsp fat free shortening, melted

¾ tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup fresh blueberries

How to bake Blueberry Muffins:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin tin with pretty little muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Combine the milk, melted shortening and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix in the blueberries. (I needed to add another ½ cup of milk).

Spread your muffin mixture evenly among the 8 muffin liners and put into the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes. (I baked my blueberry muffins for an extra 5 minutes – maybe because of the extra milk).

And voila! Blueberry Muffins a la Bethenny.

Happy Baking!

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Dec 24 2012
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A Healthier Table: Low Fat Banana Bread

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Merry Christmas Eve everyone.  If you are setting your holiday table and you are looking for a light snack or dessert that you can enjoy for several days may I suggest that you try my recipe (which I borrowed from the Joy of Baking ) for Low Fat Banana Bread.

This recipe is part of The American Cancer Society’s A Healthier Table series which allows bloggers and bakers from around the globe to share their favourite healthy recipes.  I originally posted the recipe a few weeks ago with tips on why healthy living is so important and how healthy eating can help prevent several long term and fatal diseases.  Be sure to check it out.

Today I am sharing the original recipe for Low Fat Banana Bread and I am also going to share some slight moderations that you can whip up to make this low fat recipe even healthier.

Enjoy and if you do make this Low Fat Banana Bread a part of your Christmas table I would love to see the pics on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Ingredients You Will Need:

1 cup (240 ml)   mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)

1 teaspoon baking   soda

1/2 cup (120 ml)   low-fat plain yogurt

1/4 cup (60 ml) canola,   vegetable, or corn oil

3/4 cup (165   grams) light brown sugar

1 large egg or 2   large (60 grams) egg whites

1 teaspoon pure   vanilla extract

1 cup (130 grams)   all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (65   grams) whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon   ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking   powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Baking Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in   the center of the oven. Spray an 8 x 4 inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan with a   non-stick vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl,   mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda and yogurt. Allow to sit while   you prepare the rest of the batter.

Meanwhile, in a   separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg or egg whites, and vanilla.

In another large   bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt.

Then combine the   banana mixture with the oil mixture and then add to the flour mixture. Stir   just until all the ingredients are moistened. Pour into the prepared pan and   smooth the top. Bake for about 45 – 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted   in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a   wire rack to cool.

Make It Even Healthier:

Substitute the all   purpose flour for whole wheat flour

Add some more   cinnamon (it’s very good for the digestive system)

Add another banana   (for even more flavor and potassium)

Substitute the low   fat plain yogurt for low fat strawberry yogurt (Yum!)

Add some crushed   nuts or oatmeal (many nuts are high in vitamins, protein and fiber)

Merry Christmas and   Happy Baking! Don’t forget to share your pics.

Love Always,
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Dec 10 2012
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Baking for a Cause with The American Cancer Society

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I am not going to lie, I have never really been a girl who likes to spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen becuase it’s very time consuming and I am not a huge fan of washing dishes.  However my new life plan to get fit by making healthier food choices and exercising on a regular basis has encouraged me to spend more time in the kitchen; surprisingly enough I actually like it.  I find time in my daily routine to cook at least 4 dinners every week and on Sundays I try to bake something.

I actually love baking because it makes my apartment smell great and it’s a really relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  When the American Cancer Society asked me to share one of my favourite recipes for their A Healthier Holiday Table initiative I was more than happy to do so and I immediately knew which recipe I wanted to share…Hello Low Fat Banana Bread!

Eat Healthy with The American Cancer Society

I met the good folks of The American Cancer Society last summer when I attended BlogHer’12 in New York City; it is a good cause that is near and dear to my heart.  Over 4 years ago I lost my best friend Kevin to cancer and since then my life has never been the same.

Thanks to my new friends from The American Cancer Society I have learned a lot about how your diet can affect/reduce your risk of getting cancer. For instance studies have shown that eating large amounts of processed meat increases the risk of stomach cancers; all the more reason to join me on the vegetarian wagon. Eating at least 2.5 cups of fruits and veggies every day can help prevent your risks of cancers, and drinking more than 1 alcoholic drink per day increases the risk of mouth, liver, breast and colon cancer.

5 Reasons Why I Love Banana Bread:

- There is a low fat option

- You can eat it with tea or coffee for breakfast

- You can eat it with fruit for a snack

- You can eat it as dessert after a meal

- You can eat it on the go

I used the Joy of Baking Low Fat Banana Bread Recipe and made a few minor changes.  The recipe is easy to bake and your home will be filled with the scents of bananas and brown sugar. YUM! If you decide to bake Banana Bread I would love to see your pics. Enjoy!

You Will Need:

1 cup (240 ml) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large   bananas)1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 cup (120 ml) low-fat plain yogurt1/4 cup (60 ml) canola, vegetable, or corn oil3/4 cup (165 grams) light brown sugar

1 large egg or 2 large (60 grams) egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla   extract

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (65 grams) whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Baking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8 x 4 inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan with a non-stick vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda and yogurt. Allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the batter.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg or egg whites, and vanilla.

In another large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt.

Then combine the banana mixture with the oil mixture and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until all the ingredients are moistened. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 45 – 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Love Always,

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Oct 24 2012
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No Pizza For A Year: 2 months down 10 to go

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English: Picture of an authentic Neapolitan Pi...

I am proud to say that during the last two months I have only eaten pizza three times. I know that eating pizza three times in two months is not the same as completely giving up pizza all together, but it’s definitely an improvement.  Not eating pizza is not as hard as I originally thought it would be; this just confirms that I made the right decision. Eating pizza three times a week is not a necessity, it’s an obsession and it definitely had to stop.

The response from my friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter has been very encouraging. Some people have joined me in giving up something they love in order to become a happier person and eliminate anything unnecessary or unhealthy from their lives.

Check out what other people are saying about not eating pizza for one year:

Facebook Comments:

 Patricia - Shocking…on the bright side, you can just eat m&m’s….btw, I’ve had pizza in Chicago and its totally worth the give up you’re doing!!!

 John-Michael – Really? Not all pizza is bad for you, so I wouldnt give it up!

 

 Ron - I think I could last 11 days…maybe.  It depends whether there’s dipping sauce or not.

Twitter Responses:

Kamara Kroeker @KamaraKroeker I would consider giving up bagels.  I’ve given up wheat products and dairy for some time now so I’ll commit! Should be easier after day 21. Supposedly it takes that long to break or form a habit.

Briana Myricks @howsmarriedlife A whole year? I don’t know how good my will power is. I’ll try to figure out what I can give up for a year.

Love Always,

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Sep 12 2012
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26 Days Later…I Ate Pizza

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It was absolutely worth the wait.

Last month I decided to give up eating pizza for one year in honour of next year’s BlogHer conference being held in Chicago.  I have always wanted to visit Chicago and I also have a nasty little habit of eating pizza a couple of (sometimes even several) times throughout any given week.  Therefore in anticipation of eating some of the best pizza in the continental U.S. next summer I decided to give up eating pizza until I visit Chicago for the BlogHer conference. The first two weeks of my no pizza mission was definitely difficult because pizza is an easy meal to eat on the go; between work and school I am always on the go.

By some miraculous event brought on by the pizza gods themselves, this past weekend I found myself in Chicago and I couldn’t resist the temptation to finally eat a Chicago deep dish pizza.  On Sunday night my return flight from Denver, Colorado to Montreal was overbooked, and I was in turn booked on a connecting flight through the city of Chicago.  I had one and a half hours at the Chicago airport; in this short period of time I managed to eat a Chicago hot (veggie) dog from America’s Dog and a deep dish pizza from Reggio’s Pizza.  Let me tell you that food never tasted so good.

Now that I know how great Chicago deep dish pizza actually tastes, I have something else to look forward to when I visit Chicago next summer for BlogHer.  I don’t feel bad about breaking my “no pizza mission” because my goal was to give up pizza for one year until next summer when I visit Chicago.  Since I was able to visit Chicago 11 months early I decided not to wait.

Due to the fact that I am really excited about visiting Chicago next summer and thanks to the wonders of Social Media, I found a Chicago restaurant owner named Billy Dec on Twitter and I asked him where to find the best deep dish pizza in Chicago. He re-tweeted my question to his 28,000+ Tweeps and it seems like there are two must-eat restaurants for deep dish pizza in Chicago;  Gino’s East and Lou Malnati’s I will see you both next summer.

In an effort to make healthier food choices and in an effort to actually finish something that I started, I have decided to continue with my “no pizza mission” until next summer.  I also added a few things to my list; in addition to not eating pizza for a year I have also given up eating French fries and ice cream.

Keep reading My Diary Entry for updates on my “no pizza, no French fries, and no ice cream mission.” A little side note – I am already having cravings for ice cream and it’s only been three days.

If you want to see more pics from my Denver/Chicago trip check out my album on Facebook (Tahnya Kristina).  I promise to accept your friend request.

Love Always,

 

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Aug 16 2012
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Just Give It Up Already!

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Have you ever wanted to do take a risk on something but you don’t do it because you are too afraid of the uncertain outcome? Have you ever wanted to make a change to something in your life but you don’t take action because you are too afraid to leave your comfort zone?

I for one am always trying to better myself and make positive changes in my life, trying is the key word in that sentence.  Making changes and taking risks are definitely easier said than done.  I don’t always take a lot of risks in my daily life, but I do try and work towards my personal goals.  If I want to travel somewhere or do something in my life I try to do it as soon as possible (hence my Life List) because I don’t want to wake up in 20 years with regrets. The only way to make changes in our lives is to stop talking about making changes and actually start doing something about it.

In honour of next year’s BlogHer Conference being held in the great city of Chicago, I have decided to give up the one thing in the world that I love the most…Pizza.  For the next 12 months I am going to give up eating Pizza in anticipation of eating some of the best Deep Dish Pizza next summer in Chicago.  I have always wanted to visit Chicago and I eat way too much Pizza, so in an effort to make a personal sacrifice (just to prove that I can do it) and lose a few pounds at the same time, I am going to give up eating Pizza until next summer.

Will you join me and give up something over the next year?

Love Always,

Photo by BarelyFitz

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Jul 2 2012
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Five Guys in Montreal

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Even though I am a vegetarian I am a huge fan of eating hamburgers and French fries.  Since I became a vegetarian four years ago I definitely eat a lot less hamburgers and French fries, but I do still get cravings every so often.

Usually when I want to satisfy my burger and French fry cravings I go to McDonald’s and order a Big Mac combo with no meat on the burger and a diet coke.  If I am lucky enough to be near a Harvey’s fast food restaurant or an actual hamburger restaurant I can order a real veggie burger (with a patty), but that rarely happens.

My parents both visit the United States of America very often and they both always talk about how great the hamburgers and French fries are at a fast food restaurant chain called Five Guys.  When I was in New York last April I finally had the chance to eat at a Five Guys restaurant, and I absolutely loved it.

Five Guys Burgers and French Fries

Five Guys is a diner style restaurant that is decorated with red and white checkers.  Five Guys is definitely a burger joint because the only items on their menu are hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries. They are known for their Cajun fries but they also serve regular French fries with the skin still on them.

Five Guys doesn’t have a traditional veggie burger which is served with a veggie or tofu patty, but they do offer a veggie sandwich as well as a veggie sandwich with cheese. The Five Guys veggie sandwich is a delicious bread bun filled with whichever toppings you would like to have such as grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, relish, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles etc.

Usually if there is no veggie patty on my burger I am still hungry after eating my meal, but this is not the case with Five Guys. The portions are so big at Five Guys restaurants that you definitely won’t feel hungry after eating your meal.  There are no combos at Five Guys restaurants and we have to order all items individually.  You should expect to pay $10-$12 for your meal at Five Guys including a hamburger, French fries, and a drink.

Five Guys Restaurants in Montreal

I have been craving and wanting to return to a Five Guys restaurant ever since I first ate there in April.  However both restaurants that I know of in Montreal are not very close to my home or office.  There is a Five Guys restaurant located on McGill College Avenue down near Square Victoria metro station and there is a second location on the south shore of Montreal in the Dix Trente neighbourhood.

If you follow me on Twitter (@TKBlogs) you may remember that yesterday as I was walking on Ste. Catherine Street East I was pleasantly surprised to find a 3rd Five Guys restaurant location in Montreal. I immediately entered and ordered a veggie sandwich with cheese, a regular French fries, and a diet coke.  Drink refills are free at all Five Guys restaurants so feel free to sit down, eat, and drink unlimited Coca-Cola beverages.

The service at Five Guys restaurants is always friendly and helpful.  Boris was the employee who served me at the Ste. Catherine Street East location between St. Andre and Amherst; believe me when I say that he will be seeing me again very soon.

Rumor has it (according to my new friend Boris) that there will be a few other Five Guys restaurants opening up in downtown Montreal very soon. I definitely recommend that you visit one of the 3 Five Guys restaurant locations in Montreal the next time you are craving hamburgers and French fries.

Happy Eating Everyone!

Feb 1 2012
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Restaurant Review: Cheeburger in Montreal

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I first learned about Cheeburger on Twitter.  The entire online world was buzzing about a new restaurant opening up in Les Cours de Montreal that gave customers the option to create their own burgers…literally!  The first time I went to Cheeburger it was during my lunch hour and after waiting for 10 minutes for someone to say hello and greet me, the waitress told me that they were too busy to take my take out order.  I was disappointed, but I still returned the next day for dinner because I was determined to eat a Cheeburger.

Cheeburger is a diner style restaurant that serves made to order burgers and milkshakes, among other things.  Each Burger and Milkshake is created by the client. Cheeburger allows clients to build our own burger by choosing everything from the type of cheese, the burger patty size, and up to a maximum of 25 toppings…that’s right, up to 25 toppings total.  We have the option to add anything and everything onto our burger from Peanut Butter to Coleslaw.

Cheeburger gives clients the option to create our own Milkshake by mixing and matching from a list of over 50 different flavours. However, it is advised that we only add a maximum of 5 different flavours because after that it starts to get too sweet. The service at Cheeburger is not overly friendly, but it is very quick, efficient, and extremely helpful (especially if you are a first time visitor).

I am a vegetarian, so I was very glad to see that Cheeburger offers vegetarian menu options.  However, I found Cheeburger to be very over priced for a burger joint.  I ordered a burger with a Root Beer to drink and my total bill was just over $15. My friend ordered French Fries along with her burger and drink and her bill was over $22.  The food is great at Cheeburger, but the prices are way too high.

I am definitely going back to eat at Cheeburger because I absolutely love the create your own food concept.  I didn’t order a milkshake during my first visit to Cheeburger, so next time I am going to order a Marshmallow, Chocolate, and Banana Milkshake.

If you love burgers and you don’t mind paying for quality food then I definitely suggest that you check out Cheeburger in Montreal on Metcalf Street in Les Cours de Montreal.

Bon Appetite Everyone!

Here are some pics from my dinner at Cheeburger:

Photo by Cheeburger

Nov 3 2011
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Dinner and a Movie: Lombardi’s Restaurant & The New Footloose Movie

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In recent weeks I was lucky enough to try both a new restaurant and see a new movie. I ate at Lombardi’s on Duluth Street at the corner of St. Denis in Montreal and I saw the new Footloose movie…twice.

Lombardi’s is a bring your own wine Italian restaurant, and it is totally fabulous. Lombardi’s appears to be an old triplex home that was converted into a restaurant.  The dining space is small, but there are 3 floors.  The decor is elegant and simple with low lighting, big decorative mirrors, and a wall fire place. There was a 20 minute wait for a table of 5, which is not so bad on a Saturday night in downtown Montreal.

At first glance the prices at Lombardi’s may seem expensive, but for the quantity of food and the quality of taste the price is definitely worth the cost.  I bought my own can of Diet Coke at a local convenience store across the street because I don’t drink alcohol; this is very convenient if you need to buy a last minute bottle of wine to go with your meal.  I ordered an appetizer salad and ate a massive bowl of penne with tomato sauce for my main course (aka the photo below).  The manager even sent over complementary Garlic Bread for our table.  My total bill including tip (and my diet coke) was only cost $26.

If you are looking for a great restaurant with good food, mega portions, and friendly service then check out Lombardi’s on Duluth Street in Montreal at the corner of St. Denis.

I recently saw Footloose for the second time and it keeps getting better every time I watch it.  I am a huge Kevin Bacon fan and therefore I know the dialogue form the original movie by heart.  It is safe to say that the new Footloose movie will never be as good as the original, but Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough did the best they could.

Although some of the dialogue in the new Footloose movie is word for word the exact same as the original, there are aspects of the story that changed; and this was ok, it seemed to work with the storyline.  The dancing in Footloose was fun and it was nice to see the director put a new age twist on a classic movie.  The show stealer was definitely the new Willard; he is both funny and cute.  The new Willard is totally my favourite character in the new Footloose movie.

Ren (the main male character) is played by the adorable Kenny Wormald.  I have loved Kenny Wormald since he starred in J.Lo’s reality dance show Dance Life.  He has danced for many celebrities including being featured in the Nelly Furtado music video for the song Promiscuous; he also danced with Justin Timberlake on his most recent tour.

Julianne Hough is another story all together.  She is a cute girl with a nice smile and therefore viewers will relate to her, but she was not a great “Ariel”.  Since she started dating Ryan Seacrest Julianne Hough’s career has skyrocketed.  In recent years she has moved up in the world of Hollywood from a dancing partner to a leading lady in movies.  She was ok in Burlesque and she was ok in Footloose, but in my opinion she should stick to dancing and leave acting alone.

Lombardi’s is a great restaurant and Footloose is a fun movie, they are the perfect combination for a Dinner and a Movie Date Night.

Here are some pics from my dinner at Lombardi’s in Montreal:

Garlic Bread Compliments of the Manager

My Penne Pasta and Diet Coke

Me and My Friends