Restaurant Week, 2012, and a Contest

Happy 2012, y'all!  Yes, I realize that I'm about two weeks late with the New Year's wishes, but sometimes that's just the way it goes.  This is really just a big housekeeping type post, though I promise that I have a few reviews that I'm sitting on.  Hopefully they will start to appear this weekend...assuming I don't have too much homework to do for my classes that started this week.


First things first. South Carolina Restaurant Week starts tomorrow, January 12.  It runs through Sunday, January 22, and features tons of deals across the state.  The options for those of us in the Columbia are pretty awesome, but if you're outside of the capital city or feel like a quick road trip, the choices in other parts of our fair state look to be worth the trip.  I'll be hitting up three restaurants (and finally using up my gift cards!) - Dianne's on Devine, Villa Tronco, and Rosso.  Needless to say, I'm pretty excited.


Moving on.  I don't normally make New Year's Resolutions because then I can't be disappointed in myself when I fail to keep them.  This year, I've decided to take a leap of faith and make a few.  But only for the blog. Not for my non-blog existence.  In 2012, I would like to:

• Visit a new restaurant at least once a month.  This may not seem like a big deal, but now that my gift cards are just about gone, I have to find a way to work it into the budget.  I think this is a resolution I can stick to though.  And I'm taking requests for places to review.
• Post at least twice a week.  This one may be a little trickier.  I don't want to write if I have nothing new to say.  I'm debating opening up the blog for guest posts, so let me know your thoughts about that.
• Figure out a way to incorporate my other great love into the blog.  That would be music, for those of you just tuning in.  I'm still hammering out the details on that one, but as music is food for the soul, there should be some way to work it in.
• Learn to cook.  There.  I said it.  My 2012 life goal is to learn to cook.  Here's the thing.  I am capable of cooking, I just really don't like to.  I get bored, so I stop paying attention, so everything burns.  Vicious cycle.  So this year, I'm going to start simple and try to find recipes that don't require me to pay too much attention.  I'm open to all suggestions.

Given that last resolution, it seems appropriate that as a prize for my 1 year blogiversary, I'm giving away a cookbook.  Yes, that's correct. The Hungry Lady turns 1 at the end of this month. To celebrate, I'm giving away a copy of Eric Dishes & Dustin Mixes, a new cookbook authored by my friend Eric.  Eric and I have known each other since we were awkward high school freshmen, and though we haven't really kept in touch (except via Facebook) since graduation many years ago, I follow his food blog and love his recipes.  The best part?  The recipes look like they make some fancy food, but it's all very simple to prepare.  I asked Eric if I could use his book for a giveaway, and he was all in favor of the idea.  

See what you can win?  Check out Eric's blog or the Amazon.com page for more information.  

So here's how this is going to work.  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post by 5 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 14.  Tell me why you like this blog, things you would like to see on the blog, how you feel about guest posts, your thoughts on Restaurant Week, etc.  Just keep it food or blog related.  After 5 on Saturday, I'll go ahead and use a random number generator to pick a comment and determine the winner.  The winner will be announced in a separate post on Sunday morning.  If you are the winner, you will need to email me (thehungrylady [at] gmail [dot] com) to claim your prize.  I must receive your email by Monday at noon EST.  If the winner hasn't contacted me, I'll pick a new one.  I know that sounds complicated and annoying, but it's the only way I can think of that doesn't require you to leave your personal email in comments.  Plus, I wouldn't mind the blog views.


Go. Tell your friends.  Leave a comment.  Check out Eric's blog (linked above).  Win the contest.  And if you win, and want to review one of the recipes in a guest post, that would be pretty awesome.  Happy 2012!