Local joint gives me ideas: Pangea Cafe, Owensboro, Kentucky

Pangea Cafe's Asian Vegetable Wrap

Love, LOVE eating at local joints, and Pangea's one of my favorites. Every time I go here, I come home with ideas of what I might try at home. For instance, next time I make a veggie wrap at home, some of those crispy Chinese noodles will make a nice addition.
   Last visit, we hit the joint at lunch time, so I'm sharing a sandwich extravaganza today. Happy eating everyone!!

Pangea's Crabcake Sandwich

Pangea's Meatloaf Sandwich that Hubby loved.

DD got Pangea's Turkey Club

Pie and cupcake eateries delight the eyes, if not the palate

I know, I know, eating at local joints has been my focus, but occasionally a chain restaurant catches my eye, as The Grand Traverse Pie Company we visited in Evansville certainly did. I mean, what's not to love about pie cases like these!

While good, Hubby's Chicken Pot Pie was not worth a return visit to the Pie Company, and the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich I ate was nothing to brag about either. Nonetheless, eating it did give me the idea to try to do better at home...hopefully soon! And I can't complain about getting to see those pie cases, even if the meal did disappoint.

Certainly, the sight of these cupcake cases at Gigi's Cupcakes did not disappoint. (You didn't think I would SKIP dessert, did you?) Thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head when I gazed on these babies--each and every one calling my name!

I could say it was a tough choice, but honestly, wedding cake is my all time fav, so a Wedding Cake cupcake pictured in the first case was my pick.

Hubby enjoyed his German Chocolate Cupcake but couldn't help wondering if they'd have given him a discount if he'd asked them to take off half the icing. Never thought I'd say this, but there was too much icing for me too. And I'm a "save me a corner piece" kinda gal!

Did pretty well on the Independence Challenge on my first day yesterday! In the interest of celebrating the good stuff, I included my successes in my bedtime accounting when I quickly wrote my top three things to be grateful for on Sunday. (Thanks, Meg, and Blessings, for reminding me of the importance of gratitude!)

• Plant something: Started soaking some alfalfa seeds.
• Harvest something:
• Preserve something:
• Waste not: Bought 2 more motion-activated nite lites (aka night lights *wink*), to save having to turn on overhead lights at night. 
• Want Not: Added a 2.5 gallon container of drinking water to my emergency provisions.
• Eat the Food: Cut up a cucumber into a pasta salad and a crab salad, using it up while still fresh.
• Build community food systems:
• Skill up: Mended my knitted gloves.

How's it going with any challenges you've taken on? Hope the usual challenge of MONDAY goes smoothly for you!

Catching up: Smoky Ketchup, Meatless Tuesday, Consignment shopping

Made this Smoky Ketchup the other day to eat with some fried oysters. After this shot, my camera battery petered out, so I don't have any proof that we ate oysters, mashed sweet potatoes and sautéed kale. ;)

Didn't manage to eat meatless on Monday, but made up for it on Tuesday. Made our spaghetti with Morningstar Farms mock meat crumbles. Hubby's not crazy about them, so I won't buy them again...once we use up what I've already bought. Hubby didn't complain too much about them this time. I've learned not to add them to the sauce until we plate our food. And of course, a little wine always helps anything to wash down. ;)

Went consignment shopping today to find a highchair for Grandbaby to use when at our house. We did end up finding one to suit our needs, at much less than retail prices. According to Living Greener, buying used "reduces the need to manufacture new materials, meaning less energy is consumed and less water is wasted in the process." Gotta love that!

Must end with this gratuitous pic of the pizza we ate last Friday. My fav E.B.A. pizza is from a locally owned and operated joint, 54 Pizza Express. Though there are lots of reasons to buy local, YUMMY FOOD is my favorite reason to keep going local. BTW, EBA is "everything but anchovies." YUM!

Soo excited that tomorrow is Friday. Maybe another EBA pizza is in my future? One can always hope!
   We have some out of town friends who have a family tradition of inviting friends over for pizza on Fridays. I LOVE that! Another friend makes enough chili for a crowd almost every Friday night during the cooler months. Before I became protective of my Friday nights--preferring to stay in--we ate many a bowl of his Friday night chili.
   Any similar food traditions going on in your neck of the woods?

Donut delights on Small Business Saturday!

My two favs: a Chocolate Bon Bon and an iced Jelly Donut. Disgustingly sweet? Yeah, but gotta love 'em...it was cheat day after all. ;)

Finally winding down after Thanksgiving. All the out of towners have gone home...they will be missed! Until next time...

Rolling Pin Pastry Shop: my favorite little locally owned and operated Mom and Pop shop!

What's not to love?

Supporting small businesses isn't so hard now, is it? ;)

   Saw some snow today. Well, it was mixed with rain but it still counts, eh? I'm wearing a t-shirt, a top over that and a sweater over that and STILL I'M COLD. I was not ready for this colder weather. We're only using the woodburner on weekends when we're sure Grandbaby's not coming over. Prefer the cleaner air for one as young as she is, but sure missing that wood heat!
   Hope you're staying nice and toasty over at your place...or nice and cool if you're on the other side of the world!