For 1-week every June, the Regatta boat races would come to my hometown in southern Ohio.  We waited all year for the shenanigans to arrive; Hawaiian Tropic, polka bands and street vendor munchies; lumpia, funnel cakes, pancit and Bahama Mamas.

Nowadays I’m often times doubled over LMFAO when LA, San Franny, and NYC think they’ve created something new with the fusion-confusion cuisine de jour.  I guess Appalachia has always been hip and just didn’t know it?

Pics by my friend Katie of SideClick Photography.  She’s 5-kinds of spicy! Stop by her Facebook fanpage and tell her to come back to Cali for a visit.. I need more photos.

Recipe here for the trendiest cookies of the summer.

Her home was like my Barbie’s penthouse with an hourglass pool that shimmered like Hollywood. She worked the room in her silver pant suit, suntanned skin, red fingernails, and sky high stilettos. It was late, but no one told me I had to go to bed or to stop eating so many of my favorite cookies. Then THEY arrived in a pack. They were older than me, maybe as old as my sissy and brothers. They had wild hair, were loud and smoked like her. They made loads of drinks and acted silly. One boy had a green Mohawk and made me a Shirley Temple; but winked and said it was a cocktail. I had died and gone to heaven. I was spending Christmas with my grandmum in Scottsdale. I was only 7-years-old. That night I knew I wouldn’t stay in Ohio forever. She redefined the word DIVA. She went to Beauty School when she turned FiTTy $ent. She is why you’ll often times see me with a beehive and why I swoon for hair stylists.  Big bang thanks to Matthew and his Mohawk; courtesy of Disconnected Salon; the place to go when your hair needs a Morphine lollipop.

After having high tea and scones for a dear friend’s bachelorette party last Saturday, we ended the evening with a Drag Show. Yeah, that’s quite often how we roll.  I’ve never seen so many perfect bums! Lunges, squats, ballet… here I come.  And maybe a little bootilicious bundt cake with a side of blueberries.  Check out the recipe and story I wrote about Cafeterias here. I can’t stop shake’n my money maker; they got published!

High booty thanks to Phil Defalco for snap’n all my big ideas here.

Did you know that April is “National Grilled Cheese Month”? I’ve pretty much declared April as, “National Pose with the Hotties Your Friends are Dating Month.” Cheese and Hotties? Can it get any more delicious in here? I think the sound of a “Fetish & Honey Sammie” takes the cake. Who knew, a grilled cheese could be kicked up to “sophisticated dessert” status.

But let’s talk about old boyfriends for a minute. It was an old boyfriend of mine that taught me that feta is only a zillion times better if it’s bought in a block and imported from Bulgaria. Yes, I realize Bulgaria is nowhere near Greece. He was also the same boyfriend that taught me if a man looks sexy by the way he sits in a chair, then you need to seriously brace yourself for what’s about to come.

Ginormous thanks to my fabulous friend Ingrid, for not only snapping these photos, but also letting me borrow her über foxy fellow.

Somedays my cakes don’t turn out and I have to be a hypocrite and buy one at a place I vowed never to shop.  Somedays I have to borrow my friend’s boyfriend to be my faux boyfriend because I’m too shy to ask the boy I really like.  Somedays I wear a winter coat when it’s officially spring.  Somedays I can’t go out to dinner with my posse after a photo shoot because I forgot that I wore nothing but my skivvies under my coat.  Somedays, no MANY days, I’m too lazy to paint my finger nails.  Somedays I go to work with my hair wet (please don’t tell Neil). Somedays I’m definitely less than perfect.  Oh, and happy April Fool’s Day!  I’m allowed one day to fudge on a recipe? right??

Wearing just 2 things; coat by the always perfect darling at Frecklewonder and Winter Kitty.

Biggest thanks to Phil Defalco for always taking the perfect shot, regardless of how I show up.

What’s your guilty pleasure?  I’d sooo love to know.  Diamonds? Roses? Chocolates? Not me.  Though you probably already know that about me if you read my Valentine’s Day shenanigan.

I swoon for Mary Janes.  Mary Janes should make you feel like a goddess.  Like you’re being  kissed by a thousand butterflies all over your body.  Yes, Mary Janes in any color imaginable.  Up until last year, I had one pair worth more than my car. That’s pretty bad.  So don’t worry about bringing over diamonds, roses, or chocolates; a fabulous pair of Mary Janes will be just fine. Ohh.. And happy St. Patty’s day, now go get your green on.  Recipe here.

Pic by my friend, the mad-crazy-fabulous, Colleen Caracas.  More on her to come.  Stay tuned..

P.S.  And “NO”, the pic isn’t a little fuzzy.  Maybe you ate one too many Mary Jane Bars?

A couple weeks ago, I requested your best Vegas story.  Thank you soo much and I hope you enjoyed the 14 Karat Cake.  A million thanks to my foodie friend, James Kiester, for judging the shenanigans.  I had no idea he was writing a book about Vegas. Check out his food blog for more fun. Big congrats to the winner, a special surprise Vegas inspired prezzy will be sent soon.  James picks the winning story below.

“My favorite story involved an elevator ride with Dean Martin, a Frank Sinatra concert, and a marriage proposal. Unfortunately, it all happened in Reno, so I can only award Trish an Honorable Mention.  I poured over the rest of the stories of parties, strip clubs, and wild nights with great care. I eventually narrowed it down to three stories; Liska420’s drunken adventure, Bridget’s $1,200 slot win, and  Leslie B’s celebrity fest at Hard Rock Café.  All 3 of these stories SCREAM, “Las Vegas,” to me in different ways. For over a week, the story which ended with taking a strip club’s limo through a fast food drive-thru was the front runner. What’s more “Vegas” than a early morning junk food run after a night of drinking and male strippers? Being a gambler at heart though, I leaned toward the slot win for a good long time too. But, drinking at a table with Ed McMahon smacks of a classic Vegas moment too.  In the end, Bridget was the one who did the research and figured out how to beat the bandits. For that reason, I have to reward Bridget with the win.”

In a lot of ways I’m your typical girlie girl’s girl.  I get along well with other girls.  I have a ton of girlfriends that I genuinely adore.   I love shoes and clothes and shopping and pedicures and other girlie things.  And in some ways, I’m not a girlie girl at all.  I don’t like roses or chocolates or diamonds.  Yes, I’m being honest when I say I don’t like diamonds.  This might lead you to believe I’m all bah humbug when it comes to all things Valentine’s Day?  Which is not the case.  I just don’t want roses, chocolates or diamonds.  But this Valentine’s Day I’m celebrating all month in glee.  My very first article and recipe was published this week in Bridges Magazine and it is about Valentine’s Day.   I think any thoughts of bah humbug are over.

So.. Please check it out, because you heart me and I heart you back to affinity.

Big gushing thanks to Phil Defalco for eating fried chicken and biscuits with me and always taking the perfect shots.  Retro apron from my sweet friend Katie Auble.  Katie will be snapping more VintageSugarcube photos this year.

Exx Ohh, Ex Oh!

Three of my closest childhood friends met me in Ohio to do this shoot.  We stayed up all night, ate our favorite childhood cookies, and reminisced about our crazy-beautiful experience of being raised by nuns. That was one of the best nights of my life.

Ohhh, where the hell do I begin.  Maybe that they left their homes as far away as the Philippine Islands to teach, love and nurture us? Maybe that peeps are always a bit shocked when I can “drop it like it’s hot” on the dance floor as a result of dodging too many flying erasers by frustrated nuns?  Maybe the fact that at 8-years-old we were allowed to leave school unattended for lunch?  Maybe I should mention the unconditional kindness they showed me after my mom died? Maybe I should mention they played dodgeball and kickball with us in full habits?  Yes, I said dodgeball.  Maybe I should mention they weren’t scared to paddle a kid that misbehaved and absolutely weren’t afraid of our parents?  Maybe I should mention we were forced to learn Latin and sing at all of the funerals?  Maybe I should mention they had no tolerance for any shade of hate?

Though I no longer consider myself Catholic, to all the nuns out there I say, “namaste”.  May the divine in me, honor and respect the divine in each of them.

Biggest thanks to Brenda Roach Thompson for shooting pics of one of the best weekends of my life. Thanks a million to Ms. Yvonne Dekay for being the most fabulous nun for a day.  Big, big thanks to Phil Defalco and his daughter Ruby for spending their Friday night at my place shooting pics of cookies.  I am blessed.

Exactly one year ago today, I saw the movie Visual Acoustics; the story of my absolute favorite photographer (Julius Shulman).  My website was something I wanted to do more than anything but was terrified down to my core.  The movie inspired me to take a chance on what I truly wanted to do.  I decided to step waaaay the hell out of my comfort zone and go for it.  I now know this is what I’m meant to do and I want to stop and thank the other great photographers that made my dream a reality.  They are all friends just help’n a sista out!!  I am blessed.

Maureen and Adam are my dear friends who were willing to help me out in any way possible. They snapped the shenanigan, “Fishnets and Cherries.” They continue to educate me on all things involving alcohol and their dinner parties continue to inspire me something fierce. Big Smooches!

Mary Farnham shot Big Hair and Disco. I’ve never told her this, but she has a little Annie Leibovitz in her.  She can capture a side of people that no one ever sees. She’ll find the secret-silly-side, to even the sexiest of men.

Rich Pencek shot “Poppy Seeds & Oz.” He is a mad scientist by day and bad ass photographer by night.  The Del is his favorite place to shoot, so I was stoked he was game for my Coronado shenanigan.  His girlfriend Cindy helped tremendously. It was a luxury to have her as a stylist.  They are two of the kindest people I’ve ever met.

Besides being the most ahhhmazing cook I know, Tom is a kick-ass photographer. He’s like family to me. I’m waiting to post his picks in 2011, because the recipe is gonna blow the socks off the food snobs out there. I’ve been working on it for a looong time. Stay tuned!

Brenda is my friend from childhood who gave me the recipe for the “2 Good 2B True” post.  When I entered Junior High school, I didn’t know a soul.  I was a shy, quiet dork and she was a popular cheerleader. She didn’t care that I wasn’t cool. She welcomed me with open arms. She is why I surround myself with only fantabulous people.  When I’m around someone who is catty, I think about my Jr High experience.  If I didn’t have to put up with bullshit then, I’m sure not gonna put up with it now.  Besides having killer recipes, Brenda is a professional photographer and a full-time English teacher.  She shot my most heart-warming pics that I’ll post this year.

Phil Defalco is a friend and a professional full-time photographer who has snapped the majority of my shenanigans for the love of the art. He arranges his schedule to shoot any crazy, ridiculous idea I may have in any part of town I want to go.  I think he deserves a purple heart or something?  Happy New Year everyone!

Exx Ohh Ex Oh,

Jenny