How to Gain Self-Esteem for Less Than $2

Today I discovered something amazing.

Okay... I didn't discover it because it's probably been on the shelves of every grocery store for years, but today my taste buds discovered the greatest cake mix on the planet.

Kids, Betty Crocker French Vanilla cake mix is gonna blow your mind.

I know it's weird to think that a cake mix could blow your mind, but it happens sometimes... they just don't like to mention it on the news because it scares people.

If you make this and put homemade frosting on it no one will ever know you kinda sorta cheated and they will think you are incredible. People will weep. Dogs and nuns will dance in the streets. It will be amazing.

And if you act really smug about not giving up your top secret recipe they will ache with jealousy and you will feel really good about yourself.

Things I Have Learned About By Watching Crap Reality Television

I shouldn't admit this, but I sorta kinda like the 'Real Housewives' shows on Bravo.

I'm not going to even try to defend myself.

But I did learn about something handy on a recent episode of The Real Housewives of New York... The Skinny Girl Margarita.



I usually drink vanilla vodka and Diet Coke (My friends and I call it a 'Skinny Bitch'), but this is a really good option.

Plus, I think everyone should be drinking more tequila... just in general.

Fattoush Salad

Holy God do I love Fattoush salad.

Fattoush, if you've never experienced it, is a salad made of romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers (sometimes), olives (sometimes), feta (sometimes) and these ridiculously delicious broken up pita chips and is all smothered in this super delicious lemon vinaigrette that is seasoned with something called sumac.

It is incredible.

What a lot of people don't know is that my hometown (Wichita) has a ton of great Lebanese restaurants. Totally random, right? I mean most people would expect us to have nothing but ground beef and cream of mushroom soup or a big pot of beef scraps from the butcher boiling away, but it's really not true. Since there isn't a whole lot else going on (i.e. concerts, theatre, or culture in general) what most people do for fun is go to restaurants... so we have a lot of restaurants. And a lot of them are Lebanese... or if not specifically serving Lebanese food they are, at least, owned by Lebanese people.

But the Lebanese restaurants aren't even my favorite places to get Lebanese food.

Nope... that's because every year in October a local church ( St. George Orthodox Cathedral) has this giant fundraiser where they serve a Lebanese meal for $15 a person. It's pretty much the highlight of my year outside of my birthday and Christmas... in fact, it's like Lebanese Food Christmas.

Anyways... this year my mom got me 3 tickets.

That's 3 tickets... JUST FOR ME. I'll be eating cabbage rolls and kibbe and pita bread and baklava morning, noon, and night this weekend.


I'm so effing jacked.

Jess' Guide to Great Lebanese food in the Wichita Area

1. Bella Luna Cafe (the best fattoush ever)

2. N & J's Cafe (authentic and they have belly dancers!)

3. Nouvelle Cafe

4. Cafe le Monde

5. M.I.F Deli

6. Po Boy Pizza (this place doesn't serve Lebanese food, but it's a pizza place owned by the nicest (Lebanese) people in the entire world. Try the pizza roll... it'll probably change your life.)