Gaviota, gaviota

Here's a story about what happened to me and my sandwich this past weekend:

Mmm, Sandwich!

 

Just Chillin, taking it all in.

And here we go!

Ugh!  I think I just got attacked with a beach umbrella!

Oh my god no, it's alive!  And it wants my SANDWICH!

This is ridiculous!

Go away you jerk! It's my sandwich!

oh MAAAAN!

That's when family stepped in, while I ran screaming toward the seaweed infested waters to cleanse my hair of seagull cooties.  Then, since I was still hungry, I ripped off portions of my sandwich highly likely to contain seagull cooties, and proceed to eat the remainder of my sandwich under protection of an umbrella and family guard, because this was no normal seagull.  It was ENORMOUS, and when husband threw a sandal at it, it barely flinched.  No fear.  I think I finally met someone who wants cookies more than I do!

It's late. I feel old.

Monday, 9pm.
2 glasses of wine, no dinner (but I did have 2nd lunch)
Close my eyes on the train... enter "the spins".
I'm the only 28 year old I know who gets tipsy from 2 glasses of wine, at a work function no less!

This reminded me of a story, but I forgot what it was... So here's another one!

A few weeks ago, husband and I took some friends to the U2 concert, as a birthday present. It was really hot out, but there was a lovely breeze at the new meadowlands stadium (which I'm allergic to, but that's a story for another time). We brought some subways to tailgate, and had some beer and hot dogs (because I condider it blasphemous to go to a stadium without consuming beer and hot dogs!). Once settled into our seats, Husband and i got into a very serious conversation about who knows what, paused, did the wave, continued. I pointed out that we'd just had our very own "when harry met sally" moment just in time for us to resume serious conversation, pause, wave again, resume serious conversation, crack up laughing! it was wonderful!! I'm so proud to have a husband who appreciates these special movie moments the way i do. Later on, it got kind of hot way up in our nose bleed seats, but I took a nice refreshing shower when the drunken idiot behind us spilled his beer on my head.

http://movieactors.com/actors/brunokirby.htm

Mmm, Chemicals!

What is it that makes blue box mac and cheese soooooo delicious?  (Chemicals!  Boooo!) 

In honor of giving my mother in law a "real" american meal that I loooooved as a child, I went all out last night, not only did we have mac and cheese from the box, but we put hot dogs in it too, kiddie style.  Delicious! Only thing missing was a little ketchup, but I thought that was taking things too far.  And ok, i'll admit it... the adult in me came through, I mixed in some (lots of) broccoli to cut the guilt, and only put 1/4 of the recommended amount of butter (seriously? 1/2 stick of butter per box?  And does anybody really only prepare 1 box at a time?)

It may look gross, but you just need to look at our eyes to tell it was delicious.

PS - Don't fear, this is not the only american food I've exposed my mother-in-law too.  We've also had lots of hamburgers and grilled vegetables, chili, sandwiches, salads, lasagna made with no cook noodles and sauce from a jar, and a variety of other "short cut" or "improvised from the pantry" recipes.  But we forgot to have meatloaf or taco salad!  Oh no!  MMmmmm, taco salad... is it too early to start thinking about lunch?

nuts about breakfast!

So these were on sale at the grocery store once.  It was a trap!  They haven't been on sale since, but I got hooked; they're delicious!  And healthy... I can even pronounce most of the ingredients!  But I repeat, though they're delicious... it's a trap*!  I keep buying them, even though they're not the cheapest option, because they're so tasty and satisfying, and just sweet enough that they go really well with my coffee for breakfast.  There are a bajillion flavors, and so far I've liked every one I try!  My favorites are the basic fruit & nut (shown below), the cranberry almond, and blueberry pecan.  I also think I had an awesome peanut butter and jelly bar once... but I haven't seen it in the store again, so maybe I made it up.  (FYI - the quickest way to my heart is through peanut butter and jelly.  Make note in case you need to get back into my good graces some day - pb&j just might be the key.  For some girls it's jewelry and fancy cars, but for me, I'm pretty sure food is the way to go.  Though I won't stop you from buying me jewelry if you should be so inclined... just saying it wouldn't hurt to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich too).

image from www.kindsnacks.com

However, the other day I saw a cheaper, smaller, knock off brand in the super market, and decided to give it a shot.  Stop & Shop Nature's Promise, peanut butter flavor, from the organic aisle.  Even better list of ingredients, I could pronounce allllll of them! (reminds me of that old ice cream commercial).  The bar was a little smaller than the KIND bars, but also had lower fat and calories... so would be better as an anytime snack.  Not as many options in flavors, but still tasted pretty good, and less expensive!  I think perhaps I'll split my time between the 2 brands, so that I can afford to buy coffee sometimes...

* "trap" in spanish is "trampa", which always makes me imagine some tramp trapping a good man

Hot hot hot!

I'm not talking about the weather. 
I'm talking about soup!

This afternoon, soup saved me.  As of late, I've been losing my battle with pollen...

Until today!

Thanks to some mulligatawny soup from this place up the road, I've remembered my old friend:  SPICY FOOD!!  Since allergy medicine (as well as the allergies themselves) make me a bit of a space cadet, I do what I can to treat them naturally.  Namely, by using a neti pot and getting lots of rest.  But thanks to today's incidental soup purchasing, a world of other helpful options have worked there way back into my memory!  Ok, not a world.  But two!  And both have been very effective in the past!

1. Spicy foods!  This includes hot peppers and chili powder, as well as fresh ginger. Wasabi and horseradish are not recommended,  because unhappy sinuses + horseradish = evil explosion.  Eating raw onions and garlic might count, but the aftertaste just makes me keep eating foods that I can't really taste unless I've eaten chili first.  (Why is it that with a stuffy nose I can still taste bad things like onion breath but not delicious things like cookies?)
2. Chopping onions! All that crying is kind of like using a neti pot, without the weird posture. haha.

I think tomorrow I'll chop a bunch of onions, and use them to make chili!!