Just Another Crazy, Yet Awesome, Moment

A couple of days ago, I had an interested moment when I was about to come home after doing some errands. I was heading back to the bus depot, but I decided to get something cold to drink on the walk there. I ended up getting a large milkshake from my favorite spot, Beancounter. I didn't think I was going to make it there without finishing my Oreo Milkshake, so I ended up taking a different route, enjoying the day.

I didn't quite make it to the Port of Burlington, because I was running out of time, but I enjoyed walking near the river, and enjoying the cool air. As I walked back to catch my bus, I made plans to try and actually head to the port next time I got the chance, and I plan to make it next time.

Grocery Haul & Healthy Foods to Cook With

I don't usually talk about what I buy, but I wanted to share some of things I've found at the grocery, and the health food store near us here in Burlington, Iowa. My mom has a lot of allergies, so it's really important that I find, and work with ingredients that are ok with both of us, and I've been very lucky to find these ingredients, sauces and flavors, that don't have anything that can make us sick.

My mom loves her sauces, so I've been trying to come up with some of my own. One of my first, that she seemed to like a lot was coconut aminos, with sesame seed oil, especially on chicken. I also was able to find a health food store near us called Nature's Corner, and they have a vegan mayonaisse, made without eggs, or soybean oil, which is very important in our diets. They also have a ketchup made by the same brand, Primal Kitchen, as well, and later I was able to find it our local HyVee store, as well. 

Recently I also discovered another brand that is a little healthier for us, called Noble Brand (by the New Primal), and they have a good, and spice bbq sauce. Plus, at Nature's Corner, they have soup packets, that don't have anything bad, like soy, wheat, or any added perservatives.

I've always enjoyed cooking healthy, and even doing things from scratch. Sometimes, when I'm working on the basics, it's nice to have quality sauces, and it makes it easier on me. It can get pricey if your not careful, but I always say it's worth it.

Misadventures and Oriental Shopping

We went back to Coralville again, the first of this month. The trip was supposed to be quick, considering we didn’t have Missy, and we knew where we were going for the most part, and what we were supposed to get. However, the best laid plans,… often turn into misadventures.

We got started pretty well, we went to Walmart, and I found the coffee I love best, and we were leaving, but we got to looking around, and found some other food stuff that was important, but they didn’t have a great selection of some other stuff we were hoping to find there, like dog food.

After that, we went to a store, World Fresh Market, I though they would have an amazing selection of oriental foods, and the key items on my list. But as it turned out, they didn’t. Most of the stuff was Indian, and was interesting, but now what I was looking for, except for some miso.

Next stop was Trader Joe’s. We got there, and we went looking for the things on our list. We had trouble finding one of the key products, but we found it with help from someone who worked there. We also found some amazing foods, potstickers, and macarons, two of my favorite things. We didn’t find everything we were supposed to though. However, as we were getting ready to checkout, one of the ladies who worked there, told us the place to go for oriental food and ingredients, and things, was a place called Chong’s.

So, we took a chance, and payload! All items on my list were practically there: miso, kombu, Benito flakes, and boba pearls. I was so happy! Even though our time there was cut short, it was nice, and now, I know where to go.

We got coffee, and headed home, so even though the trip was kind of crazy, it was awesome. We didn’t find everything, and we went to some wrong spots, but now we know better, so we can plan better for next time. Isn’t that the point of living?

What’s Been Going on This Summer in Our Backyard

These last couple of months have gone by, and we’ve done some fun things, starting with barbecuing in the back, going to the farmers market downtown, and going on short road trips. Just shaking things up this summer and having fun.

Between June and July, mom and I started going to our local farmers market, downtown, and it was awesome! We enjoyed walking down the streets, and smelling all the local produce, not to mention the other stall with crafts and projects, and the other sights and sounds, like the horse drawn trolley cart, or the saxophone player. I especially enjoyed the fresh herbs we’ve been finding, and I tagged some of the businesses in my Instagram. So, we’re trying to keep making a habit of going the first of every month when we get our money, and enjoying fresh herbs and produce with our cooking and meal prep.

We’ve also gone back to barbecuing in our backyard again. I’ve enjoyed that singular taste, of charred meats and veggies, not burned, but intense. It’s been nice, not to heat up the kitchen, and to season the food, and cook over an open flame. I like to think it’s helped a lot, and that I’ve been better with everything going on.

We started to drive to Macomb, Illinois, to check out these winning tickets from a car dealership. Usually, it’s not about the prizes, but getting out of the house, and taking a long, awesome trip along the beautiful farmlands, and nature. We usually try to pack something to eat or have some money to grab coffees and something to eat, or much on. It’s always nice to be able to go and enjoy the ride.

Our next trip is to Davenport, Iowa, to check out the Best Buy. I’m going to pack up some sandwiches, and we’re going to drive up, and then we’re going to this diner, Steak n Shake, and enjoy a meal as a late birthday celebration. Hopefully, we can enjoy some more small adventures along the way.

Trip to Tennessee: First Part of the Adventure

Heading to Tennessee, one can see a lot of amazing scenery, buildings, and other structures. We started early, but we did get to see the sunrise while on the road, it was so nice. Later, at a pit stop, we found a Casey’s that had crullers, or pinwheel doughnuts, one of my favorites, and a similar one with cinnamon.

There some interesting buildings, and bridges, as we got further into Illinois, including a close glimpse of the St. Louis Arch, and a great big Ferris wheel. We went under a bridge, where there were some buildings that said Port or something (must do some digging), but it was exciting for me to see.

Driving further on we got to see some more pretty scenery, what I think of are wetlands, or land that was recently flooded. We later stopped a rest area that had an amazing view of a lake, named Rend Lake Rest Area. It was beautiful with a park, a foot bridge, and a gazebo.

One of the last stops we made was to Fort Massac Rest Area, in Metropolis, Illinois. There was a memorial, named Blue Star Memorial Highway, in tribute to the Armed Forces. There was another tribute, one that was a little less significant, since Metropolis was a big part of origin story of Superman. A Superman figure, where you can stand, and take a picture, so funny, I loved it. Doing some reading, I learned there is also a Superman, and Lois Lane statues in Metropolis, as well as a museum, though we didn’t go that far. One day though, that might be fun to see.