1.       

No matter what you’re wearing, where you’re going, or what you look like, you’re going to get honked at. There’s no way to avoid it. The men of Philly think it’s just a daily routine to make women jump out of their shoes in fear that someone’s about to run into them or maybe they’re about to get hit! But no! It’s just a lovely, yellow-teeth smiling, sweaty, old man yelling at you cheerful obscenities that would make your mother cry. Good morning, Philadelphia.

2.      Your foot doesn’t hit the break fast enough for the likings of the person whose car is trying to park in your backseat.

You should really be a mind reader. Since you’re the first car at the stoplight, it is your job to know when the light is going to turn green before it turns green. The person that is riding your bumper is expecting you to actually disappear before the light turns green so her or she can start driving right away. But if you don’t move right away and instead , dare you, take five seconds or so to form a reaction to the light change, then you’ve failed. And deserve to be honked at.

3.       You’re wearing a Phillies jersey.

We’re a prideful people and we like to celebrate that pride. If you’re getting honked at for wearing your Phillies attire then this is a great moment for you. It’s their way of saying hey, I like you. And if you’re a Phillies fan, then you know nothing makes you happier than seeing another fellow fan rock out their Phils gear.

4.       You’re wearing a Yankees jersey.

If you even own a Yankees jersey, go home. We don’t want you hear and we will honk at you until you get that and either take off your jersey, hat or whatever stupid ugly blue item that you have on. You know what you were walking into when you visited our city, so you deserve all the honking and yelling that comes with being a fan of the evil team. If you’re a victim of any of the items on this list plus you’re wearing a Yankees jersey, just know that we’re only concerned with your look, so to take care of that right away. Or go back to your terrible  team.

5.       You happen to be driving on the same street of any cab driver.

A cab driver is a man on a mission. Get in his or her way, and there will be consequences. Even though the driver may be driving recklessly and crossing multiple lanes to get where they want to go, leaving you to either suddenly swerve into another lane or slam on your breaks, they’re going to honk at you and make you feel like you’re in the wrong. If you’re driving on the same block as a cab just make sure you’re aware they will probably cut you off to get to the person that’s on the sidewalk in front of your car and there’s nothing you can do to stop them.

6.       You’re going the wrong way down one of Philly’s carefully planned one way streets.

Go left, oh wait no you can’t go that way, go right. No! Someone just switched that sign to mess you up, the street goes the other way. Ah someone’s coming down the wrong way! Philly is filled with hundreds of one way streets. Without them, people would have to make driving decisions on their own and we don’t want that. So even if a kid made a prank and switched the direction of the sign, you need to be really careful when you’re driving these dangerous streets.

7.       You’re only going 15MPH above the speed limit.

You drive like a grandma. If you’re going to be driving in the city you’re expected to drive at least 20 MPH so you can look as cool and dangerous as the balding middle aged frat brother in his shiny new yellow sports car. Didn’t you hear that risking the lives of your passengers, other cars, and pedestrians is super impressive? It’s cool bro, I can pass you.

8.       You’re held up in bumper to bumper traffic on 95 and, even though you haven’t moved in twenty minutes, it’s clearly your fault.

Chances are you had nothing to do with why you’re stuck on 95. You didn’t cause the accident, you never tried to merge into a lane that held up the rest of the cars behind you, and you’re just like everyone else on your way to work anxiously moving only 10 feet every  10 minutes. Well, guess what? The guy behind you says it’s your fault! Well really, he’s saying it’s anyone’s fault that is in front of him so he’s honking and honking and won’t stop honking until either him or you get off at your exit. Honking is clearly the solution to make cars magically float away so you can drive on an open highway. Turn up the music, now.

9.       You actually stopped at the stop sign.

Are you crazy? Why would you stop? Sure it may say stop, but we all have places to go, people to see. Can’t you see I’m in a hurry? I’M FROM PHILLY, STOP MEANS GO.

10.   You’re a female.

It’s just that unavoidable that it needs to be stated again. If you’re a female expect to be honked at. There’s no point in trying to fight back, they’re never going to stop. In good news, once you get used to the horns and yells, you’ll be able to go about your day like normal with the honks just another form of background noise. Sort of like birds chirping, except these birds are a little uglier, smellier, and you probably wouldn’t want to wake up to hear them in the morning.

Quick & Easy Lasagna

You can never go wrong with mom’s home cooked lasagna. Try this quick recipe, found on Squidoo, out for everybody’s favorite comfort dish. (Try it without the ground beef for the vegetarians out there like me!)

Description:
This is a simple, delicious homemade lasagna recipe. It is very easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
12 ounces (3 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups (16 ounces) cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley)
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups spaghetti sauce*
3 tablespoons water*
12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine egg, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, and the parsley. Stir until well-blended.

2. Brown meat with garlic and onion. Drain grease and return to skillet. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and water, mixing thoroughly.

3. Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with a layer of three lasagna noodles, one-third of the cheese mixture, and 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat layers twice.

4. Top with remaining three lasagna noodles (if lasagna is getting too “tall” for your dish, press the lasagna noodles down to flatten it a little) and the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese on top. Cover with greased foil.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover dish and bake an additional 25 minutes, until top is browned and noodles are tender. Remove from oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

A Good Easy Garlic Chicken

Now this one couldn’t get any easier. It’s a classic meal from Allrecipes.com that’ll be sure to impress your guests with its simplistic look and flavorful taste. Just add some rice on the side and maybe a vegetable to finish it off.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoning salt and onion powder. Sautee about 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Tilapia with Green Beans

This is the kind of easy meal that’ll make you look like a gourmet chef. It’s quick, healthy, and looks incredibly impressive sitting on the plate of your guest. Thank you to the Food Network for their easy, spring recipes!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 6-ounce tilapia fillets
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound thin green beans or haricots verts
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:
Combine the flour, oregano and parsley in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in the skillet, then add 2 fillets and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook through, 1 to 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 fillets.

Add the green beans and garlic to the skillet and cook about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the tomatoes and cook until just softened, about 1 more minute. Stir in the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water, then cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until just melted.

Divide the fish and vegetables among plates. Garnish with oregano.

Pork Chops with Onion Roasted Potatoes

This dish has the home cooked feel and presentation that’ll comfort any guest at the dinner table.  Moms Who Think created the perfect under 30-minutes meal that’ll be a great addition to your weekly menu.

Onion Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 envelope onion soup mix
2 lb. red potatoes, cut into small chunks
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place all ingredients into a large plastic bag.

2. Close bag and shake until potatoes are evenly coated.

3. Empty potatoes into shallow baking or roasting pan; discard bag.

4. Bake, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Garnish, if desired, with chopped parsley. Makes 4 servings.

While potatoes are baking, prepare pork chops.

Pork Chops with Corn Relish

Ingredients:

2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (4 ounce) boneless thin-cut pork chops
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine the corn, bell peppers, onion, sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper in a saucepan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through (about 5 mintues). Remove from heat.

3. Sprinkle the pork chops with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

5. Add the pork chops and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes each side.

6. Serve the pork chops topped with the corn relish and potatoes. Makes 4 servings.

Try out some of our suggestions and let us know how they work out! Or if you have your own tricks for a quick and easy meal, let us know! Enjoy!

Written by Lauren Resnick

The Fares You cannot beat the fares of the subway, it is only $2 dollars to get on and ride. Most likely if you are going to be traveling by car in the city you will be burning way more than $2 dollars’ worth of gas. Be green and hop on the subway to get around.  There are also many free interchanges, yes I said free. You cannot beat the price of the subway.

Your Personal DD It is great for commuting back and forth from work, but have you ever thought about the subway being your designated driver for the night? Philadelphia has a lot of great bars and taverns, but it is hard to enjoy them if you have to drive back home. The subway can be your DD, and it will be safe for you to take an extra drink if you want it.

Easy Directions We may be too scared to take the subway because of the confusing interchanges and rails. The subway is easier than you think. You can both look up the map online or in the subway lobby, and find your way very simply.

Tight Security You may have noticed the increased presence of Transit Police Officers in your station on your last visit to the subway. They are present throughout the transit system, although obviously less visible, is a trained team of undercover, plainclothes SEPTA Police Officers who are working to ensure the security of our passengers. The subway has a bad reputation for being unsafe, but with the increase of police officers you will be much safer.

Day Passes The Independence Pass is available for both individuals and families, it provides a one day of unlimited travel on any service SEPTA operates. This is perfect for the individuals who are visiting the city, or just have a day planned that involves a lot of travel.

Commuter Parking Most Regional Rail stations and several transit stations offer parking facilities for commuters. The fee is usually $1 on weekdays for most stations. Riding the subway is cheap and convenient for commuters and travelers.

We have given the subway a bad reputation, and it is time to change that. The subway can make your life way easier and more convenient. So get going and ride the rails!    

Written By Celesta Smith

On behalf of Philabundance, Uber will offer all attendees who are new users a free ride up to $20 to or from The Piazza on April 27 with promo code CUPCAKESMASH13. Promo code can be entered in app by tapping the icon in the upper left hand corner or visiting the promotions page when you sign into Uber.com.
Here’s how to take advantage and take your first Uber ride:
1. Sign up: Download the Uber app on you iPhone or Android device or visit www.uber.com/go/CUPCAKESMASH13
2. Enter the Promo Code: CUPCAKESMASH13
3. Request & Ride: Select your pick up location & tap Request Now

The event is $25 in advance, $30 at the door, $10 for children ages 6-12, and free for children under age 6. All ages are welcome to attend but must be 21 and older to drink, ID’s will be checked.

Enjoy drink specials for the night:

$3 domestics

$4 house wine

$5 mix drinks

For more information or to RSVP call 267.400.0004 or email info@i-gcreative.com.