Who ya gonna call?

Seen at Litchfield Park Arts and Crafts event

Chicken and mole for dinner!

Black Chili Mexican Grill

I was invited to happy hour/dinner at Black Chili Mexican Grill in the Biltmore area.  I had a blood orange margarita which was very good and I tasted someone else's strawberry jalapeno margarita which was also very good.  The guacamole came with cheese crumbles on top, but I was able to take a little from the side and had some chicken tacos with rice and beans.  I double checked the ingredients because it was very, very good.  Although there wasn't much on the menu I could have, everything was tasty.

Babbo's

I used to go to Babbo's for lunch about every other week.  I loved their Italian sausage pasta and the mista salad.  I knew that, in addition to their pasta combo lunch, they had recently introduced a "blackboard" menu.  I couldn't understand who was going there and not getting pasta.  Now I know.

I asked about wheat, and soy, and dairy, and yeast.  And I got the roasted chicken breast topped with brussel sprouts, diced beets, almond slivers, and golden raisins.  It came with a side of roasted veggies--broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.  I didn't eat most of the carrots, and there weren't very many cauliflower, but there was some kind of herbs in the veggies that was really good; I just couldn't quite place it.  I haven't had brussel sprouts in a long time and these were good enough that I would try it at home.  Or at least order it again.

I noticed that this lunch cost almost twice as much as the lunch I used to get.  This eating better is expensive.  I can't balance out the more expensive meals with some cheaper meals anymore.  The closest I can get to a "cheaper" meal is a $5 microwave meal.   Factor in a snack for later, since I'll be hungry in 2 or 3 hours, and I might as well get a decent lunch out of the office.

I saw this quinoa polenta in the grocery store recently and decided it might be worth a try.  I had it with leftover potatoes and zucchini and topped with marinara sauce.  It was pretty good.  It could have used some parmesan cheese!

Agility class

We did several exercises. Of note, Teka collected herself before heading back into the weaves.

Revo revisited

I wasn't feeling so great, and decided to get the Revo chicken fajita rice bowl with brown rice for lunch from their gluten-free menu.  I asked the guy if the chips were gluten-free and he said the chips are gluten-free but they are fried in oil that is not gluten-free.  Everything fried goes in the same oil.  A-ha moment!  This may be a portion of my problem--I can't eat corn chips at restaurants without confirming that they use separate oil.  (And they don't, we already know that.)  Do I leave a package of gluten-free chips in my car for when I go to Mexican food restaurants?  The good news is that the corn tortillas are made with corn, water, and lime, so I can eat those.

So, let's go back to the not feeling great.  I did only get 4 hours of sleep, but I don't think that is the big issue.  A lady at work almost always notices when I'm having a painful day.  She said that she can see it my face.  I'm sure I can't totally hide it; I'm feeling successful to not cry sometimes.  I noticed, as I have recently, that my pain and tightness are accompanied by nasal congestion.  I actually took a Benadryl before lunch and felt better most of the afternoon.

Unfortunately, I was in pain again by the time I went to agility class.  A lady I know asked me about my weight and diet, but from a different point of view.  She was concerned because she thought I looked weak, like maybe I wasn't eating or not eating the right stuff.  One of the instructors said she thinks that the dogs do pick up on it when I'm not moving well, so it is more of a struggle for me and them.

Garden Update--eeewww edition

mushrooms are attacking everything in my garden

Caterpillars are eating everything leafy

D-Vine

Today, I felt better than I have for several days.  At lunch break from my class, I walked to D-Vine Bistro for lunch.  I also walked around the building where the class was being held since the weather was so nice.

At D-vine, I had desert blossom ice tea, which I liked.  Most of the menu was burgers or sandwiches that I couldn't really modify, so I found a grilled chicken salad.  They don't candy their own walnuts, but had plain walnuts to substitute.  All of their dressings included soy (soybean oil), so I asked for avocado instead.  Between the avocado and the goat cheese, it wasn't too bad or dry.  But I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to people with allergy issues.