How is it already Sunday?!  Yikes!

Question for ya’ll: When you are out at a store/restaurant/etc, do you speak up for yourself if you feel like you are getting a bad/wrong deal?

I ask  because…yesterday alone – if I wouldn’t have spoken up for myself – I would have been overcharged $5!

I was at Whole Foods, with my favorite east side lady - Veggie Girl – and bought 2 bottles of wine (among other delicious things).  I could have sworn that the sign said the Sauv Blanc was $5.99, but both bottles rang up $7.99. I could have been too embarrassed to speak up – but – well – that’s just not me.  I said something right away, held up the line while the cashier checked - BUT I WAS RIGHT!  That’s $4 bucks!

Then – I went to Super Walmart (UGH!) to get a few other random items – and I gave the cashier three “$1 off” coupons.  Something was working right, and only two showed up.  The cashier tried to say all three were on there.  I just politely (had to say it repeatedly) pointed out that I handed her 3 coupons, and only 2 were showing.  She eventually fixed it, and I saved another $1.

The reason I bring this up – is because when Liz and I were chatting – I mentioned that I know some people who don’t like to speak up, or feel “tacky” or “cheap” saying something.  Crazy, right?

My thinking – there ain’t NOTHING wrong with saving money! 

Let me know what you guys think!

Okay – sorry for the side bar -I just wanted to share that with ya’ll!  Now onto food! 

Friday and Saturday eats (since my bootay was just not feelin’ like posting yesterday).  Friday I ate delicious things like:

Belly-filling breakfast of eggs & waffles, after Thursday night hoe-down/Happy Hour:

Veggie Chipotle Bol:

Slice of homemade pizza I made for Miguel (those are banana peppers hiding under the cheese!):

Random dinner:  sweet potato and Wendy’s new “buffalo boneless wings” (these wings were good but CRAZY SAUCY!) 

Saturday, I woke up early, went on a 10 mile bike ride, then showered and went to hang out with Veggie Girl.  We went on a walk (a little over a mile maybe?), then to Whole Foods.  I just couldn’t resist the “bar” anymore – I caved!

My deliciousness included:

• big white beans marinated in lemon vinegarette
• caesar salad/pasta salad mix
• tuna pasta salad
• garlic roasted cauliflower
• roasted broccoli and sugar snap peas
• a few pieces of pesto penne pasta
• wheatberry salad with kale & dried cranberries
• israeli cous cous with saffron
• lots of sweet & sour tofu

And one lone beet that VG convinced me to get.  I WANT to like beets, but I haven’t had a lot of success.  I guess this one was way undercooked.  It was super hard, and very “earthy”.  Oh well – maybe next time! 

I spent the afternoon just relaxing and straightening up around the house since Mike had a law school event.  Around 6 – I broke into these chips I picked up at WF:

Just as good as you’d imagine! So good – I will absolutely buy another bag of these soon! 

Once Mike got home, I made dinner, and we relaxed with some wine (yes – this is the wine that I “made a scene” about in WF) 

This Sauv Blanc is delicious AND comes in a super cute bottle – you can’t beat that! 

I roasted some veggies and cooked some chicken tenders in foil pouches – here was the end result:

Roasted brussel sprouts, okra, and cauliflower – with “steamed” chicken, peppers and onions!  Very tasty (and VERY easy to make!) 

I just can’t get enough of this purple cauliflower – I’m obsessed with how it looks! 

Okay – off to finish up some laundry and then hitting up the “family picnic” this afternoon with my mom’s whole side of the family!  Enjoy your Sunday ya’ll!  

Hi pretty bloggies!

Question – anyone else sign up for the Foodbuzz Festival in San Fran?  I’m interested to see who else is going!  I’ve tentatively registered, but it says they only take 250, so I don’t know if I’m actually in.  If you are going – let me know! 

Hi, my name is Allison, and I’m addicted to waffles. 

For real!  I can’t stop eating them this week, I’m just absolutely diggin the carby deliciousness (not to mention – the artifical “crack” that is spray butter!)  This week -oatmeal was out the door, and YAY FOR WAFFLES! 

When I came into my office – I found an early Christmas present sitting on my desk – FREE FOOD! (TWO OF MY FAVORITE WORDS!)

Even better – HEALTHY free food!  I love it!  My friend Chandra knows I love my veggies, and she had some excess since she has her own garden, and is part of a CSA, so she was thoughtful enough to bring in the extras for me!  Aren’t I a lucky girl!!  Thanks Chandra!

How cool is this purple cauliflower? (I’m channeling my inner K)  It’s such a deep color of purple!!

Lunch was a cucumber heavy salad – topped with balls (TWSS!) (I couldn’t help myself):

Falafel balls that is.  I’ve gotten a few questions in the past as to which kind of falafels I buy, so I thought I’d post it so everyone could see!  They are “Veggie Patch” – and are sold at the Costco in Cleveland (and I’m assuming elsewhere?)  The container is about $9 (but lasts FOREVER), and they are kept in the refrigerator section, near the hummus.  Enjoy! 

Afternoon snack – a piece of a Newman’s Organic chocolate bar (Mocha flavor!) 

Right after I left work – I had a drinking date with Mike, my brother, and two of the girls I work with.  (It was that kind of Thursday!) 

Thirsty Thursday Happy Hour drinks turned in some crazy sort of hoe-down…

…and a plate full of holy-moly-kick-butt-nachos for dinner!  Don’t worry – this was split 5 ways! 

Isn’t that a really pretty presentation of nachos?? (Especially considering we were at a hole-in-the-wall sort of bar!) 

We’ve got another “plan-less” weekend ahead of us – can’t wait to go home and just RELAX!  Happy Friday!

Hiya Piyas! 

It’s almost Friday! 

Thanks for all your wonderful comments on my last post. I’m not usually one to let circumstances get me down (at the end of the day, no matter how bad I’ve got it – someone’s got it worse and I need to be grateful for what I have) – but yesterday I was just feeling “affected”.   I really appreciate all the thoughts & comments – this is such a wonderful community. 

I don’t typically re-blog things, but Angela did this today, and I thought it would be the perfect trick to get me moving towards the up-side.   On that note – here we go:

I Want - to be a professional chef, bartender, and personal trainer, all at the same time!

I Have – a very good life, with a husband who loves me, a job to support us, a family that loves me, a roof over our heads, and the cutest dog in the world (Sorry Hillary, Frank, Chooey, Penny 1, Gilbert, Bosco, Basil, Thumper, Brat, Dixie, Penny2, Murphy, Maddie, Oliver, Sadie, Snowbird, Maggie & James)

I Wish - mean/bad people did not exist.

I Hate -  when I let others negativity bring me down.

I Fear – losing loved ones.

I Hear – a loud cart going across the tile floor outside my office.

I Search -  for the perfect fitting pair of jeans.  I never find them! 

I Wonder -  where we’ll be in 5 years.  The idea of Mike being finished with law school and being a full time lawyer seems so foreign to me! 

I Regret -  a lot of things I did in college (J/K!).  I regret saying mean things when I was in grade school.  I said some pretty terrible things to people who didn’t deserve it.  

I Love – listening to Mike talk (both for the sound of his voice, and what he is saying), and the way Lando curls up in the crux of my knees at nighttime

I Ache -  when I hurt someone I love or let them down.  Nothing is worse.  (Stolen from Angela, but she said it so eloquently)

I Always -  try to treat others the way I’d like to be treated.  You have no idea what is going on in someone else’s life or what sort of day they are having – and you have no idea how easy it is to have a smile or a “Please” or “thank you” make someone’s day.

I Usually – end up having at least one adult beverage when others around me are drinking.  I have no willpower in those situations. 

I Am Not -  quiet.  I’m not capable of it.  I have one volume setting – and it’s 10.  If I’m around my mother – she’s usually yelling at me for being so loud.  (I got it from her!) 

I Dance - when I’m driving, and as soon as a sip of alcohol passes my lips!  Love to dance! 

I Sing - to every song I hear.  I usually know at least one line of lyrics – if not – I make them up as I go!

I Never -  spend money on clothes (maybe that’s why I can’t find the perfect pair of jeans!) 

I Rarely - dislike a movie that Mike picks out.   He QUITE OFTEN (and me too actually) ends up hating a movie I’ve picked. 

I Cry -  when I hear about any dog dying.  Makes me so sad.  (I obviously have death issues – I know!)

I Am Not Always – the most proper.  I try when I need to though! 

I Lose - my cool when someone insults or attacks Mike or my family members.  You don’t mess with my family.  I’m tough! 

I’m Confused -  when it comes to politics.  Some of the topics/issues I just can’t fathom.  I wish I were better at that.

I Need - to do something with my hair.  It needs a cut (maybe an inch, maybe 5) and some color.  STAT!

I Should -  be doing something else right now.  Shhh! 

I Dream -  that I’m running and I can’t get anywhere.  Obviously injury related – but it’s a really strange dream because it’s extremely vivid – and I’m in all my racing gear!

I hope -  the whole world becomes a better place (I feel like the outlook on so many things right now is so dismal!)

I feel -  old.  With my leg “booted” up and my neck hurting me again – I feel like my body is revolting a lot more than it should be for the age of 27. 

I appreciate -  a lot of things, too many to name even.  The top of my list though is Mike, Lando, my family, my friends, my job, and all of you. 

Now it’s your turn!!