Before we dive into the recap, I want to quickly say a quick note of thanks for allll the shared excitement about our move on the last post. After reading your comments and good words about Austin I’m even more excited about the move! I just love y’all!!! <3
I realized it’s been a while since a full recap! I’m sitting here on my balcony coffee and avocado smoothie in hand enjoying the clouds looming over the mountains. It’s my favorite type of morning- the kind that feels like it is on the verge of a storm. I find myself trying to be more present in each second knowing that our time here has a cemented end date.
On Saturday March 2nd, I ran a few miles on the treadmill while reading for school then walked to the coffee shop nearby and picked up a Pellegrino to accompany me on a walk. I was craving some time outside to clear my head after all the intense reading.
I worked on school work most of the day. In the evening I made DJ some tacos with Old El Paso Spicy Cheddar Flavored Taco Shells from Target.
For myself, I had some tilapia with tahini, hummus, grape leaves (dolmas), pita, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh vine tomatoes.
Sunday March 3rd was church in the morning followed by a full day of editing a paper before submitting it. The only picture I have from the day is this somewhat low quality photographed salad (but high quality flavor) with all the veggies, avocado, tzatziki, and balsamic.
On Monday March 4th, I woke up early to get a run in before hitting the books for the day. Then I headed to Peet’s to camp out at my second home. My favorite barista, Connie, was working. We held up the line again catching up, whooopsies!
I packed a little lunch for myself of a no-cow protein bar, apple, and a yogurt with berries and almonds to accompany my liquid gold.
Around 4:30/5ish I headed home, and then started on dinner for the evening. This night it was a margherita pizza on Trader Joe’s pizza crust. I mixed a bit of pizza sauce with olive oil for the base, added a touch of garlic, buffalo mozzarella, vine ripe tomatoes, and after out of the oven some fresh basil.
On Tuesday, March 5th I grabbed coffee with one of the future Austin campus pastors. It was my first time meeting her, and we hit it off immediately!! I officially have at least one friend in Austin! Also, Crema, the coffee shop where we met in San Jose is my kinda coffee shop- it’s so warm, eclectic, and has great rainy day vibes. I will have to go back soon to work on some assignments & snag some photos. The coffee was wonderful & served in a steaming mug!
After returning from our coffee date mid-morning I was craving a snack. I had a no cow protein bar & Power of Seven juice from TJ’s. I am not a huge “juice” person, but I’m obsessed with this stuff. It tastes great and I feel energized almost immediately upon sipping it. I feel like it’s nourishing every cell in my body.
Dinner was just leftovers from the night before.
Wednesday, March 6th I had a hair appointment in the morning. It was long overdo! I am trying to incorporate my roots back into my blonde so I can go longer and longer without getting my hair done- the last time I had this done was super early December, and I’m hoping to go until July this time!
For dinner I made us grilled cheese and tomato soup! I just use vegan cheese for mine.
On March 8th in the morning I was running a bit low on groceries, but I made together a bowl of dragonfruit smoothie, Fage yogurt, and PB powder.
Mid-morning I had toast with avocado, tzatziki, and hummus over Dave’s toast- mmmm mmmm!
I was out of my protein cookies at this point, so I whipped up some more to accompany my morning avocado smoothies!
For dinner I made DJ gyros with tzatziki and tomatoes over pita. I had one of them big garden trough salads, as I call em’.
Saturday March 9th, I did this workout from Fitness Blender, then the rest of the day must have been allll in the books, since I have zero pics.
Sunday March 10th, at church they had a little yogurt/berry/granola bar. MMmm! I had already had breakfast, but who can resist that?!
My phone broke at this point & I needed to get a new one *sigh*. I was excited to upgrade, but also wish I could have gone a little longer. They did have an AWESOME trade in deal for the Iphone that was not going to continue much longer, so I had to take advantage of that while I could. Anyways, I’m pretty stoked about the new phone and am excited to upgrade my pics too!
In the evening I made dosa and TJ’s Indian food. I have never made dosa at home before- I think it’s supposed to be a bit thinner than it turned out, but the flavor was absolutely delectable. It almost is like a healthier version of a pancake! I actually ate the leftovers the next morning with butter and syrup & it did taste just like eating pancakes. They are made with rice and lentils, so much healthier than regular pancakes too. If you are looking for a healthy pancakey indulgence, I’d recommend these! I bought the mix from a local Indian food grocery store, but I bet you can find it in regular grocery stores.
March 11th was a ho-hum day. All the veggies were starting to look wilted, so I sautéed up all the veggies in a pan and topped with Fage and tons of different seasonings all over a purple sweet potato.
March 12th, I ran to the Post Office to drop off some Poshmark items. (woot woot!). Love that site. I will say, you have to be very patient. I suggest spending one day posting all your items, and every month slowly drop the price! Things will randomly sell out of nowhere that I’ve had posted for over five months. They send the shipping label straight to your e-mail, so it’s easy peasy (much easier than Ebay).
In the evening, I realized the flowers were all the way dried out from Valentine’s Day, so I clipped them from the stems and put them in my bowl of “Roses from DJ” 🙂
On the morning of March 13th, I made some dragonfruit over toast with PB2 powder on top! This is one of those “we-are-low-on-groceries-what-can-I-make?” snacks that turned out really yummy. I have been repeating this almost everyday since!
I turned in a big assignment for school and then in the afternoon headed to the mall (groan!). BUT it was successful! I was going to a blogging event and wanted to grab a new shirt since I haven’t bought a new shirt in ages. I feel like all I like to buy are dresses haha. I found an $11 shirt from Zara & paired it with a belt and some earrings from Express and Francesca’s. I am good on shopping for about six more months- it wears me outttt haha.
Anywho- I have to take a minute to say I am officially much better at curling my hair! If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know that I literally did not know how to curl my own here a year ago. It’s been a work in progress, but I’m getting better!
In the evening I was invited to Flights to sample out their new menu by celebrity Chef Kyle Kingrey.
Tammy was my guest for the night & it was soo much fun having her there! Thanks for going, Tam, and lighting up all the dishes for meh 🙂
Let’s get started! We were all able to order a drink flight to start (there were about 8 other food bloggers there). I ordered the champagne since I thought it was make for good pics with the bubbles 😉 I sampled the different champs & was blown away by how crisp & delicious they were! Highly recommend !
So, Flights totally revamped their menu. They have some classic favorite flights (like their fry flight) but now have all of one item flights and actual entrees! Chef Kyle came to the table and told us all about how they chose each dish specifically based on research from the area. It was interesting to hear what goes into the creation of a menu! He explained the goal is to make dishes that allow you to try a variety of flavors that doesn’t leave you feeling bloated or uncomfortable by the end of the meal and that also pair well with drinks for socializing. By the end of the tasting I can say mission accomplished! They also have options for every need- vegan, vegetarian, gluten free… and they will do their best to accommodate additionally if needed.
First up were the corn tostadas with avocado mousse and cojita cheese. I loved these!
Next up were the truffle & parmesan croquettes- anything truffle has my attention! These I will order again! They were such a yummy app with truffle crema, grana, and fresh herbs.
Coming in HOT- the red chili empanadas with fresno pepper, oaxaca cheese, and cilantro-line crema. These weren’t my favorite- but that’s because I’m not a big fan of a lot of that thick breading that often makes up empanadas. I will say the inside with the oaxaca cheese was just scrumptious & I loved the red chili flavor.
Next round! We tried the Ancho BBQ Shrimp with black beans, pico de gallo, and cilantro. YUM! This shrimp was soo juicy.
Then we had smoked paprika salmon with crispy falafel, mint-lime raita, and cilantro. This was my favorite dish!!! When it was set down on the table the smell of it engulfed us and the flavor was truly phenomenal. The salmon nearly fell off the fork it was so perfectly cooked- like butter. The falafel underneath was a perfect accompaniment.
One of my favorites has always been their tuna flight! Once again I was amazed at the fresh, savory, light refreshing flavor of each type of tuna.
The Korean “Buffalo” Chicken was next. This had celery & carrot slaw with creamy blue cheese. I didn’t want to tempt my fate with meat, but Tammy said they were great!
And last up, their spaghetti and meatballs. Okay, confession- I really don’t care for spaghetti. There are just so many other types of pastas I’d choose first. But everyone seemed to really enjoy it- so if you do like this classic dish, I bet you’d enjoy this dish!
Thank you, Flights, for the incredible meal!!!
Question for you:
- HOW IS IT MARCH 20th ALREADY?!?!
- Which dish would you like to try from Flights?
xo <3
**Flights provided the meal free of charge, but all opinions and ideas are my own** 🙂