Happy Monday, my friends!
I hope you are all getting off to a good start this morning!
There was quite a bit of marvelousness happening around here this weekend that
I CAN’T WAIT to tell you about!
And what better way to share the deets than to join up with Katie and all her lovely link- uppers for another fun-filled…
Marvelous In My Monday!
On Saturday, as the man-friend and I headed to Nashville for a day of fun, I suggested we hit up K&S Market, our local (HUGE) international food store. I LOVE stopping in whenever I’m in the area and checking out all the unique foods, but for this particular visit, I had one mission…
Secure the discount KABOCHA!!
I seriously had to manage some restraint so that I didn’t walk out of there with ten of those babies…when Whole Paycheck Foods wants nearly $6 a pound, really, can you blame me?
We spent about an hour wandering up and down all the aisles, laughing and pointing at some of the more “interesting” items, which of course, I took a bazillion pictures of! 😉
A MAMMOTH jar of kimchi, fish-flavored crackers, “instant” jellyfish, taro tapioca pearls, and chicken-flavored drumstick snacks? Haha, you gotta love it!
I was pretty proud of myself for not going totally crazy…
Some dips & spreads (because I’m a junkie), a perfect little big eggplant, some roasted chestnuts (yum), my kabocha babies, taro-flavored jello (!?!), and then as I was heading to the register, I spotted some fresh chestnuts that I can’t wait to roast on my own for the first time!
Later that night, we headed out to see Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
It was…different?
I didn’t really have any expectations since I hadn’t seen any of the movie trailers, but I thought it was a little odd that it was set in the “olden days” but the weapons and language was very modern. I couldn’t help but giggle when Gretel told someone to “stay cool”…what? Lol
I may not have been enamored with the screenplay…or some of the acting…but I WILL say the special effects were great…and we didn’t even see the 3D version!
After the movie, we had a little bit of time to kill before meeting up with some friends for dinner, so the man-friend suggested that we pop in TJ Maxx…
Five minutes later? Obviously, he had to twist my arm! 😉
What I thought was hilarious was that he picked up just as much stuff as I did!
Including a huge gift box of tea and these little wafer cookies that tasted like they were made out of Biscoff spread…not even joking!
As for my loot…
Maple Hollow SF jam, mustard (are you really surprised?), 479° Chipotle Caramel Popcorn, Chick Pz, and a new-to-me flavor of Gnu Bars
And…
Smart Fries!
I’ve heard a lot about these, so when I saw them on the discount shelf for only $1.50 each, I just HAD to! For the record, the honey BBQ ones are just ok, but the honey mustard & onion are DELISH and totally reminds me of these pretzels!
But now, thanks to Jenn, I have a new addiction…
Seriously, why did it take me so long to try these!?
For dinner that night, we met some friends at a place called The Pharmacy. They serve gourmet burgers, local beers, and specialty sodas and shakes.
 It took an hour for us to be seated, but I have to say it was WELL worth the wait!
I ordered the Falafel Burger with sweet potato fries and the man-friend went with The Pharmacy Burger + guacamole with regular fries.
Like Debbie, I can be a bit of a food snob (particularly with fried foods). I seriously hate it when you go to a place like this and you can FEEL the grease on your skin…not to mention the tummy-troubles it often causes me. That being said, this was NOT that kind of place AT ALL!
The sweet potato fries were the BEST I’ve ever had…crunchy, sweet, and so flavorful, but the burger?
Oh my gosh, the BURGER!!!
Soft on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, and FULL of spice! It came topped with goat cheese and a yogurt raita that was the PERFECT compliment to the slight heat of the patty…I’ve already started trying to recreate it…And I WILL succeed at this…oh yes, I WILL!
What’s something marvelous from YOUR weekend?
What was on/in the best burger you ever ate?
But really, when am I NOT thinking of pancakes?  😉
And thanks to the almost TWENTY grams of protein per serving, they kept me full for HOURS!
