Thanksgiving Day Four

I'm afraid that today's thankful post will be a little shallow, but sometimes that's just the way it goes. Today was fast Sunday, and I have church at 1:30 pm. It's always difficult for me to fast that long. I get a little shaky and super hungry. So by the time I got home from church, I was famished. And to help satisfy my hunger, Andrew made some delicious fettucine alfredo. It was so good. And probably really bad for me, but I didn't care.

So today, I am thankful for good food. And for a fiancé who likes to cook and spoils me rotten with how often he cooks for me. Even when we're supposed to be cooking something together, he usually ends up doing most of the work. Because he's a sweetheart like that.

Mmmm, Zupas

Day Nineteen: Something you crave a lot.

I crave Zupas all. the. time. I feel like I've written a few blog posts about Zupas already, which should tell you all you need to know. In the winter, I want the soup. In the summer, I want the salad. And I always want the sandwiches. 

Unfortunately for my wallet, I live within five minutes of two separate Zupas locations. If I'm at home, I drive up the street and stop in at the Provo Zupas. If I'm driving home from work and the desire for Zupas hits me, I stop in at the Orem Zupas, which is all too convenient for me. And once that desire for Zupas hits me, there's no going back. I have to get it or I won't be able to get it out of my head for days. So, yeah, Zupas is a big deal. I love it.

Giving Thanks Day 21: Free Food

This is probably going to be a very simple and short post. But that's okay, because I feel like my thankful posts this year have been so much longer than my thankful posts from the past two years. I must just be feeling overly verbose lately.

Anyway, tonight was a ward activity, where we had a Thanksgiving meal (of course). It was good. And because I haven't gone grocery shopping in a couple of weeks, it was great to get a full meal. I am super thankful for free food. I mean, really, who isn't?

I am also thankful that I got to watch my fellow ward members do ridiculous things during the Minute to Win It relay. Jon sure knows how to shake his booty. And I'm seriously surprised Jeff and Adam didn't puke after speed eating three Little Debbie pies. Sheesh.

Giving Thanks Day 8: Groceries

For the last three weeks, I have been eating out for lunch just about every day. Don't ask me what I've eaten for dinner because I most likely couldn't tell you. If I wasn't buying something, I was probably eating a string cheese or an apple or Halloween candy or something ridiculous like that. It had been so long since I had been grocery shopping that my cupboards were pretty bare. I was living on toast and apples.

Today I finally bit the bullet and went grocery shopping. I got everything that I needed and didn't even get many snacks, which is always a win for me. And now I won't have to spend all my money on fast food, thank goodness. I am so thankful for a fridge and a pantry that are now fully stocked. I'm actually really looking forward to eating sandwiches for lunch again.

Uh oh . . .

This is a supremely bad combination: lying on my bed, mindlessly surfing the interwebs with a bag of Red Vines sitting within arm's reach. Unfortunately, this paradoxically also sounds like a fantastic idea, which is how I came to be in this situation in the first place.

I Could Eat These Every Day

Day 18: Something you crave a lot.

Red vines are the best. Seriously. They are my favorite candy in the whole world, and I could eat them every day. I can eat an entire bag in one sitting if I let myself. Fortunately, I usually have more self control than that.

Soups, Sandwiches, and Fantasticness

Day 10: A photo of your favorite place to eat.

I love Zupas. That's all there is to it. I would go there multiple times a week if I let myself. It's perfect for all times of the year. During the winter, I get a sandwich and some soup. In the summer, I get a sandwich and a salad. And it all tastes fantastic. I haven't tried a soup or salad that I haven't liked. (There have been underwhelming sandwiches, though, I must admit.)

Another good thing about Zupas is that it makes me think of my sister. The last time we went shopping together, we were on our way to Wendy's when we passed a Zupas. Chelly about peed her pants and turned the car around so we could eat at Zupas instead. And every time the girls in my family go get pedicures, we end with a trip to Zupas. 

There's never a bad time for Zupas.

A Typical Lunch

Day 2: A photo of something you ate today.

This is a typical lunch for me: a sandwich, a water bottle, and a book. 

I was running late this morning (as usual), so I didn't have time to make a lunch. When lunchtime rolled around, I didn't want to spend money on food, so I headed home. 

I live about 12 minutes away from the office. With my hour break, I get about 30 minutes at home for lunch. I burst in the door, throw my stuff on the couch, make a sandwich, grab my book, and read while I eat. It's a pretty nice way to spend my lunch break. Except on those days when all I want to do is stay at home and not go back to the office. Then it's not such a good thing.

I kind of wish I had more to say on the subject, or that I could say it more eloquently. But I don't, and I can't, and there is an end.

Being Thankful: Day Twenty-Five

Ahhh, Thanksgiving! The one day of the year when everyone is expected to pig out and be lazy. Such a fantastic holiday. I went to Uncle Paul and Aunt Kathy's house for dinner. There were only nine of us there, and it was really nice. I was kind of nice to just have adults and older kids there. There were no little kids running around, which was definitely different. But I really liked the smaller group this year. We could just sit and talk and not have to shout over a gazillion people.

I'm so thankful for a nice holiday, where I could take a break from work and even from Provo. I love lounging around at my parents' house for the holidays. I don't have to cook, I don't have to work, and I don't have to wake up early for anything. I can watch the rivalry game with Dad and see Harry Potter again with my mom. I'm thankful I'm close enough to home that I can spend every holiday with my family.

Café Hopping Round Two

My posts are completely out of order lately, but oh well. This one is definitely worth posting about.

A couple of weeks ago, Faith, Jake, and I decided to go café hopping again. Jake was apparently really jealous of the first trip that Faith and I went on, so we decided to let him tag along this time.

Our first stop was the Cocoa Bean. It's a cute little place that sells cupcakes, cocoa (obviously), Italian sodas, and frozen lemonades. We all tried different cupcakes. My lemon blueberry cupcake was divine. Seriously. So freaking good. My passion peach lemonade wasn't half bad either. Faith and Jake liked their cupcakes, too.

Our next stop was Eliane's French Bakery. This was a tip from my boss, and though they didn't have macarons like I wanted, my piece of peach cake was super yummy. It was a good thing Faith and Jake both speak French, though—the man who helped us barely spoke any English. I had no idea what was going on. But I got my cake, and it was good, so that's all that really matters, right?

Jake was having so much fun, can you tell? (He really was, I promise.)

Our third and final stop was the Chocolate. Jake really wanted to go, so Faith and I condescended to go again. Because it was such a difficult choice, you know. It was just as cute as the first time, and my lemon bar was delicious. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish it what with all of the other yummy things I had eaten that day.

I think they were going into a sugar coma.

 

It was a really fun trip. I think the next time we go café hopping, we're going to see what West Valley/Magna has to offer, since Faith is leaving me this summer, and I'll probably have to go up north to see her.

Best Girls' Night Ever

On Friday night, Faith and I decided we would have a little girls' night out. We had both found some cool-looking spots in Provo/Orem, and we wanted to try them out, so we made a night of it. All I have to say is that café hopping was pretty much amazing, and it's really too bad neither of us had thought of it before.

We started out the night at Spark. I had already been to Spark, but Faith hadn't. We got some appetizers and drinks, which were really good. My apple martini (non-alcoholic, of course—don't go getting the wrong idea) wasn't nearly as sweet as I thought it would be, but it was still really yummy.

 

The food was also really good. We decided that the next time we go to Spark (because there definitely will be a next time), we'll go a little bit later and sit at the bar. It just sounds like fun.

Our second stop was the F Stop Café. At first, we thought the place was closed. There wasn't a soul in sight, and their hours were a little confusing: 5 PM to 12 PM. I think someone needs to let them know that 12 PM is actually noon, not midnight. In the end, we tried the door, which was open, so we went in. There was local art on the walls, which was kind of cool. Faith got a hot cocoa and I got a peach Italian soda, both of which were delicious. I loved the atmosphere of the café; it was really loungy and comfortable.

After F Stop, we headed over to Anna's birthday party, which was pretty fun. Poor Faith didn't know anybody, but she was a trooper and came with me anyway. It was fun to go to the BC and see a bunch of people that I hadn't seen in a while. We also planned a little BC Apt 8 ice cream reunion for President's Day, which should be fun.

Once we had finished socializing, we ran over to Wyview to pick up Cora, then stopped at the dollar theatre to pick up our tickets for the late-night movie we were going to see. Then we headed up State St. to a little place I had passed a few times, called The Chocolate. As soon as I walked in, I knew I loved the place. It was adorable—there are really no other words for it. There were couches and armchairs and candles on the tables. It had a great atmosphere. Plus, one of my former roommates was behind the counter. It was fun to catch up with Rachel—I hadn't seen her in over a year. 

There was so much to choose from! Luckily, Rachel helped me out and told me to try the Kitty Katrina, which I did, and it was amazing. Faith tried a turtle brownie. She liked it so much that she put the last bite that she couldn't finish in a napkin so she could eat it later. Cora had a mint brownie, which was equally tasty. 

 

The Chocolate also sells bottles of Madagascan and Mexican vanilla, and after eating that delectable piece of vanilla cake, I've decided that I'm buying a bottle the next time I go. Because there will definitely, definitely be a next time.

After stuffing ourselves full of good food and drinks all night, we headed over to see Fantastic Mr. Fox at the dollar theatre. It was an awesome movie. I would highly recommend it, especially if you like dry humor. It was about as dry as it comes. 

Overall, it was an awesome night. I haven't had that much fun in a really long time.