The It'll Do Sandwich Recipe

So back in Peru at a delightful restaurant called Los Perros, I had a tantalizing sandwich called the “It’ll Do the Trick” sandwich. I had it my first day I was there & had it about six more times throughout the month. Here’s a recipe inspired by that delicious sandwich.

There are two ways to make this delicious sandwich: cook the chicken yourself, or buy breaded chicken in the frozen section of your grocery store. If you are breading the chicken yourself, you will take the raw chicken, dunk in flour, dunk in egg, dunk in breadcrumbs & fry in some oil or butter (a more detailed recipe found here, which is what I tend to use). For store bought simply cook chicken (or warm) according to the package’s directions. I used a package of General Tao's chicken and baked it without the sauce.

To make four sandwiches, you will need:

Chicken

4 soft hoagie rolls

2 Avocados

2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

1 small jar roasted red peppers

4 pieces of butter lettuce

1 c. shredded Monterrey jack cheese

If you can’t find toasted sesame seeds: place sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir every few minutes until they are light brown in color & you begin to smell them toasting. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare chicken according to directions on package (or fry up your own breaded chicken)

Cut & peel avocados. Place in a bowl & mash with a fork until it’s got a chunky guacamole consistency.

1. Using a butter knife, spread avocado onto both sides of the rolls

2. Add roasted red peppers on top

3. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds
4. Add a layer of lettuce
5. Add chicken

6. Add cheese on top of chicken (be generous)

Place the halves together & viola the yummiest sandwich is now at your fingertips.

Winkflash Photo Book Review

As I mentioned a bit ago, I made a photo book about my Peruvian adventure. It's hard to believe Peru was a year ago! I used winkflash mostly because it was affordable (or considerably affordable compared to other sites). The 12 x 12 book starts at $38.95 for 20 pages and increases with every page &/or custom cover you add.

With a custom cover & a grand total of 96 pages, I was looking at $158.95. I rationalized this by considering how much money I would spend on stickers, printing pictures, how much time I was saving, etc. Okay $160, I can do this.

Then... (thank you, Google) I found a coupon for a base rate. This means that I wouldn't pay the per page fee (translating to $1.50 savings x 76 pages... or $114 in savings!). I nervously typed in the coupon code & my jaw dropped when I saw that it worked. With the 20 pictures I printed, my GRAND TOTAL with shipping was $57.53. Regardless of the quality this was a STEAL.

I placed my order on August 29 & received the book in my hands on September 6. Considering there was a weekend & a holiday in between, this was FAST.

I was very impressed. Great quality! I will be using winkflash again for another photo book (or five) (& a calendar...).

PROS:
Easy
Simple & not too time consuming
One flat fee goes into the book (ie no stickers cost, no cost for printing the pictures, etc.)
Affordable (with or without a coupon)
Very good quality
Shipped right to your door quickly (unlike some companies who ship from Hong Kong or the like and take weeks)

CONS:
Limited variety of backgrounds
Limited add-ons to pages (buttons, or embellishments)
Limited font selection
Limited templates

Overall, however, I loved the quality & simplicity of designing a winkflash book. They're having 50% off photo books now through June 9th with the coupon code BOOKS50!

New Year's in New York City

Spending New Year's in New York City was beyond amazing. The hustle and bustle of the city and the fresh promise of a new year.

Late Thursday we reunited. Lauren, Annie, Rikesh, Emily & me. I love that in just a matter of weeks we became so close that even after seven months, we picked right back up where we left off.

We started out with a late dinner at a Mexican restaurant just a block away from Em's. If you want food at your fingertips, think NYC. Mexican at 11pm? Boom. One block.

Waking up to this view was incredible. I relished in the crisp, cool air that pooled into the window and the constant hum of yellow cabs and traveling people.

We once again became aware of our differences and celebrated them. 

Intoxicated by the smell alone, we devoured the world's best and biggest cookie. It. Was. Heavenly.

Made a quick stop by Rockefeller Plaza to see this beauty. What a spectacle! I cannot believe I saw it in person! Twinkling and humongous. 

Having Emily as an insider was so fun. I've been to NYC a few times but had never been to High Line Park. Quaint and refreshing. It's a railroad track turned park raised slightly above the city. The views were simply remarkable.

We enjoyed our roles as tourists and snapped quite a few pictures to savor the memories and moods of the trip.

We were even graced with great lighting (AKA Twilight Hour).

Chelsea Market was also one of my favorite gems. I got a dainty little bracelet at an indie fair taking place. So magical.

Ate my first Macaron (how do you pronounce this word? Is it macaroon? I always get confused), and quite enjoyed it.

The City that Never Sleeps rises to the occasion come nightfall. 

My friends are models, didn't you know.

Enjoying a delicious dinner at a restaurant in Little Italy. Immortalized La Florida 2012 by carving it into the table.

Hit up Ferrara, America's first espresso bar (hence the napkin). So. Good.

Espresso afogatto, oh my heart.

We had so much fun taking these timer pictures. I slightly feel like we are in a Macy's ad.

Freedom Tower

Said goodbye to this fun adventure and my beautiful friends. The sunset lit up the buildings in the gentlest of fashions creating an even more lovely last view.

2011 ended with a bang and it was such an overwhelmingly great year that I only hope 2012 will be too. I'm learning that life is what you make of it and it's an occasion you must rise to. An adventure lies behind every corner, and sometimes you've got to go find it. Thank you New York for my first adventure of the year. Thousands more to come. That's what I'm looking forward to. Boom.

Saturday Snapshots: Peru



Saturday Snapshot is a perfect opportunity to share with you some more pictures (after all, I couldn't choose just one) from my adventures in Peru.

Oh, the beauty of Machu Picchu.



Can you believe it? A Robin egg blue VW bug (aka my dream car), and I match!

Dressed like local Peruvians on a floating isle at Lake Titicaca.



Taking in the sunset.

 

Twilight hour! Sunset hike at Lake Titicaca.

Humble lodgings with our host family at Lake Titicaca. We're enjoying a typical Peruvian Lunch.

Dined on local fare; yes, that includes guinea pig (cuy).

Peru: home to the world's best iced coffee, in my humble opinion of course.

That is an alpaca steak. YUM.

Homemade chocolate tea at El Choco Museo.

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