Food Lovers Unite

I love food. I'll admit it! I love food.

Let's be honest. It's good. It makes me feel good.

I have never subscribed to that whole silly notion of "Eat to live and not live to eat."

Whatever! Life would suck if I didn't have food.

So I know this post makes me sound like the perfect candidate for "Overeaters Annoynmous."

Here's my disclaimer...As I'm getting older, it's not as easy to enjoy food as carefree as I once did. You can ask Mopac about our never ending walks. Man, and I hate looking at pictures thinking, "I wish I was that size again." When in fact, I thought I was a heifer in the photo. Gets me every time. Never satisfied with the way I look. So that's why Mopac and I are great exercising buddies.

I can easily thank my parents for my love of food. My parents have a garden that is about an acre. I remember when I was little helping pick sweet corn with my dad. He'd pull the shucks off, and I'd take a big juicy bite right smack dab in the middle of the field.

And my mom is a phenomenal cook! Sunday evening dinners always involve multiple meats and about 8 sides. I'm not exaggerating.

And my brother is a professional chef. Like an important one at the number 4 country club in the nation. He makes things that sound disgusting like duck and animal mousses. But trust me, you can't go wrong with his meat loaf.

That Bayer family is a food family.
Randy always tells me that I'm the fourth best cook in my family. Umm there are only four of us. Truth be told, he's right! Man, I hate when that happens!

My food obsession involves...
watching Food Network whenever I can

reading cookbooks for fun

cooking/baking/pretending I'm on the Next Food Network Star reality show

subscribing to the following magazines: Everyday with Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, and the Food Network magazine

pronouncing the names of pastas like Giada de Laurentis does

and this is going to sound really creepy, but sometimes, oh I'm embarrassed to admit this, I talk when I cook like I'm actually on my own tv show...gasp!!!!

I'm such a loser!

I can also tell you the best restaurants to eat at...Randy is most proud of this one since he pays for our eating out habits.

Here is a short list I mentally compiled when Randy's uncle from Denver stayed with us.

Best Tex-Mex: Matt's El Rancho
Best Tacos: Taco Deli (the cowboy is my favorite)
Best Sandwiches: Hoody's Subs (Rudino's is a close second)
Best Italian: Mandola's
Best Burgers: Moonie's Burger House (Phil's Ice House is a close second)
Best Pizza: Brooklyn Heights Pizzeria
Best BBQ: Rudy's
Best Salad Bar: Central Market Cafe
Best Ice Cream: Amy's
Best Desserts: Cheesecake Factory (going with a chain here, but who can deny their cheesecake?)



(I don't like seafood nor Asian cuisine, so I can't help you out there. I can't give a fair rating for down home, comfort food because my mom can make it so much better than any Austin restaurant.)

Any favorites? We can have a foodie feud!