The Tasty Travels of the Swanky Budgeteer.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Burger Love: Fashion Crazed Foodie Visits Shake Shack

Shake Shack Austin
 When Calvin and I decided to visit Austin for this year's #sxsw festival, we immediately planned to visit Shake Shack. I should start by telling you that Calvin and I are burger fanatics. We are both super picky when it comes to burgers; each possessing our own strict list of burger standards-but that's another blog post for another day. Needless to say, we were very excited about our visit to Shake Shack, as we've heard all the buzz about it, and everyone seems to be pretty enthused about the impending Houston location. Rando Fact: the location we visited in Austin is the first ever Shake Shack in Texas.

The decor is filled with greenery. I loved the lighting.

The walls inside of Shake Shake are covered in living moss.      

The Fare

Our Shake Shack Burgers



We each chose the Shack Burger, which comes with cheese, lettuce, tomato and Shack Sauce. We both opted to get the Shack Sauce on the side, as we weren't sure of the taste. In addition to our burgers, we purchased an order of crinkle cut fries and lemonade (free refills, YAY). The order process was quick, and went pretty smoothly, thanks to the polite staff.

Once we received our food, we took the time to marvel at how good the burgers looked. This was one of few occasions where the burger actually looked like the marketing efforts and/or advertised pictures. No wilted lettuce to speak of, thickly sliced tomatoes-#Yum! I snapped a few obligatory foodie pictures, slathered the Shake Sauce on my buns, and took my first bite. I was impressed! The burger was juicy, but not slippery, and exceptionally flavorful without being overly salty. The buns were soft, yet perfectly toasted. Calvin was impressed as well. My one and only beef: I wish the Shack Burger was bigger. The fries were good, and I loved the lemonade.

Altogether, I enjoyed Shake Shack, and I will definitely return. I can now join everyone else in counting down to the opening of Houston's first Shake Shack.

#ShakeShack is #FashionCrazedFoodie approved!



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Friday, March 18, 2016

#FashionCrazedFoodieLovesMusic: Ty Dolla $ign


Ty Dolla $ign performs "Only Right" at the 2016 SWAC Championship

Confession: I wasn't always 'up' on Ty Dolla $ign. I'm kinda late to the party, but thanks to my husband, Calvin, I'm here now! Calvin is an accomplished producer, with production credits for Paul Wall, and Lyfe Jennings, and other artists under his belt, so I always trust his taste in music.
While I've always enjoyed the song, "Paranoid" from Ty Dolla $ign's debut project, Beach House EP, I somehow never thought to dive deeper into his music...UNTIL Calvin introduced me to Free TC. Ty Dolla $ign's music has helped me to realize that I've spent the past 18 years so enthralled with East Coast Rap and 'Conscious' Rap, that I've ignored the fun, distinctive sound of West Coast rap.

Free TC

I'm impressed with the musicality of each track on Free TC; the arrangement, the lyrics, laced, in carnality and rebellion. I can barely put my adoration for this album into words! I struggle to pick a favorite track, however, if I were forced to choose, I'd say "Miracle" and "Straight Up", ft. Jagged Edge.  In addition to his singing, rapping, and writing credits, he is also lauded as a self-taught, multifaceted musician, as he plays the drums, guitar and keyboard. This guy is super talented! While it's understood that Ty is undeniably talented in his own right, he credits his father, Tyrone Griffin Sr., of 70's funk band, Lakeside as a strong musical influence.


Calvin and I were gifted tickets to the 2016 SWAC Tournament. I was literally ecstatic to hear that Ty was one of the featured artists, along with Big Daddy Kane and 90's R&B group, Guy. Dolla $ign's performance was understandably brief, but we enjoyed every second of it. He performed a few of my favorite tracks; "Paranoid" & "Only Right", and of course, Blase'. He also performed a number of hits that he wrote for other artists. Needless to say, I had a great time, and I danced fanatically to every song during his set. Ty Dolla $ign will absolutely remain at the top of my Spotify playlist.

#FashionCrazedFoodieLovesMusic





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Thursday, March 17, 2016




      The Women’s History Blacktress Moment PSA Series   celebrates majestic female trailblazers in the arts

The Women’s History Blacktress Moment PSA 1 featuring creator, actress, singer and dancer Judith Franklin, Kandice Arrington (actress/singer/dancer) Tina Fears (actress/singer/dancer), and Xylina Stamper (actress/singer/dancer) is a reminder of women’s strength and ingenuity. March is Women’s History Month and Judith Franklin, the brainchild of the 4-part PSA series, delivers an educational and empowering tribute to her predecessors. Each  PSA highlights a different trailblazer who has contributed greatly to the arts. As director and executive producer of the PSA series, Judith
does her part to emphasize the stories of accomplished, courageous, and fascinating women who have contributed greatly to the arts yet receive less fanfare than others.
Over the past year, Judith researched Black Women in the Arts and discovered that some of the most incredible stories belonged to creative women she had yet to discover. Most recently, Judith drew inspiration from her research while touring the United States in Tyler Perry’s “Madea on the Run” as lead character Netta. While expressing his gratitude to the audience after one of the shows, Perry encouraged all to continue to follow their dreams and “Create”. Echoing loud and clear, immediately after her final tour performance, Judith decided that it was time to get these riveting stories into the minds of the masses and “Create”. By enlisting her close friends, each a talented performer in her own right, Judith was well on her way to paying homage to the greats that influenced her.
“I think it’s imperative that my peers and performers around the world become familiar with these brilliant yet unsung trailblazers. There are so many exemplary performers that get lost in the shuffle. Their matchless accomplishments, despite the odds, are nothing short of prodigious. They should be celebrated. It’s inspiring and empowering. These women are majestic.”
Women’s History Blacktress Moment PSA 1 highlights Adelaide Hall and features Judith Franklin, released online Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Women’s History Blacktress Moment PSA 2 will be released on Thursday, March 17, 2016 and will feature Tina Fears paying tribute to Tamara Dobson. PSA’s 3 & 4 will be released the following week on March 22nd and March 24th featuring Kandice Arrington and Xylina Stamper.
Watch Women’s History Blacktress Moment PSA 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=2f_5IqJMRxE
LINKS:

CONTACT:
Judith Franklin (678.378.7392)


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Sunday, March 13, 2016

FashionCrazedFoodie Visits Lee's Fried Chicken & Donuts

My hubs has been asking me on a date to Lee's Fried Chicken and Donuts for a few months now. My hectic schedule is the only thing that kept me from trying it sooner. Thankfully, I woke up Friday morning with a clear schedule and a hankering for fried chicken and donuts. So, Calvin & I hopped in the car and made the 40 minute pilgrimage from Fresno to the Houston Heights. 

When we arrived at Lee's Fried Chicken and Donuts, I immediately noticed that the restaurant is quite small, and in my opinion, best suited for a grab and go type of meal. There is a drive-thru located on the left side of the restaurant for added convenience, along with a few tables and chairs outside. There are a few booths and high-top, bar type tables located along the perimeter of the restaurant as well. 



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The menu is simple; fried chicken, donuts, kolaches, fried chicken sandwiches, various sauces and a kale salad. I find it interesting that they offer Icebox Fried Chicken as a menu choice. Anyway, I'm super indecisive when it comes to trying new menus, so it took me forever to make a selection. After about 10 minutes, I opted to piece together my own meal, as opposed to choosing from a pre-selected combo. I ordered a wing, a drumstick, and a jelly-filled powdered donut, with a pepper (can't forget about the pepper). Calvin chose the Double Donut Fried Chicken Sandwich with Hot Sauce Syrup. As we waited excitedly for our food, I chose a booth in the corner, by the window. Our food was ready in about 15 minutes. You KNOW I had to snap at least 20 or so pics to share with all of you before we could touch our food-#BloggerDuty! The chicken was pretty tasty, and so was my donut. I absolutely loved the donut's cherry filling! I did not like the fact that the breading kept falling off of my chicken, however, I did appreciate the overall taste and quality of my meal. I meant to try Calvin's Double Donut Fried Chicken Sandwich, but he devoured it before I even had a chance. In between bites, he told me that the sandwich was delicious. I DID get to try the Hot Sauce Syrup that accompanied his meal, and it was terrific! I used his sauce as a dipping sauce for my chicken for added spice and flavor. 

#Yummers


Calvin enjoying his Double Donut Fried Chicken Sandwich


DOES FASHION CRAZED FOODIE APPROVE? 

In short, yes. I enjoyed Lee's Fried Chicken and Donuts. The staff was helpful and very friendly, which is extremely important to me. Next time, I'll try the Pulled Chicken Chopped Kale Salad & Calvin's favorite-the Double Donut Fried Chicken Sandwich. 

Appetizing artwork adorns the walls of Lee's Fried Chicken & Donuts
Lee's Fried Chicken and Donuts is located at 601 Heights Blvd. Houston, TX 77007



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