THANKSgiving

This year, Mom, Phil & I chose to have Thanksgiving dinner at Golden Corral.  This way, none of us had to cook or deal w/ the clean up that is associated w/ making all that delicious food!  : )  We did have to wait in line for 20 minutes or 1/2 an hour - well, Phil waited in line for us.  Mom & I hung out off to the side, away from the crowd!  Also, that made it easier for other ppl to get in line.

The plate above is mine.  Turkey & stuffing & green bean casserole were had, in the Traditional Fare category.  Then I had some cottage cheese, cantaloupe, bourbon street chicken, and oh yes, carrots.  Everything was SCRUMPTIOUS!  For dessert I had some bread pudding (not pictured) and a small brownie.  Yummy!

The next plate is Phil's.  As you can see, he started out slow, w/ some green bean casserole, stuffing, and he also chose to start with ham instead of turkey.  Everyone always thinks of Thanksgiving as a turkey holiday, but plenty of ppl still prefer ham.  (Phil had some turkey on his 2nd trip through the buffet line, don't worry!)

And finally, we have the complete traditionalist.  Mom had freshly carved turkey, mashed taters & gravy, stuffing, a roll... she shared 1/2 her roll since I hadn't gotten one.  mmmmm!

Everything was marvelous, as Golden Corral usually is.  I liked the set up & everything, as well as the food.

Until next time... How was YOUR Thanksgiving?  Did you have turkey or ham?  Any sweet potatoes?  I didn't see any on the line, but I'm sure I just missed them.  Even w/ all the great food I DID get to try, I'm saddened by the lack of yams/sp's!

Ah, well!  TTFN!

Tastefully Simple - And A Giveaway!

Hello, fellow foodies!  : )  Today I have a special post, kind of a promotional post, for Tastefully Simple.  


I first heard of TS in my early 20's.  Some friends of my parents were consultants, and I decided to have them come make food & do a party for my birthday.  It was lots of fun, and the food was amazing!  And so easy to make!  I unfortunately lost touch with that couple, but was recently brought back into contact w/ the business via a friend from work.  She is now my exclusive TS consultant.  And she has recently started a website, making it even easier for you, dear readers, to try out some TASTEFUL and SIMPLE treats, too!  


http://www.tastefullysimple.com/home.aspx

You can order whatever you'd like, and it'll ship right to your door!  How super easy is that?  Also, every week in November, you can enter to win some fabulous freebies!  : )  


Now, you probably want to hear about the products, right?  Of course you do!  You can go over there & see them for yourself, but I can give you the inside scoop on some of the wonderfulness.  : )  


First of all, the crowd favorite and possibly most well-known TS offering - Bountiful Beer Bread.  You can use any carbonated beverage, and each will give the bread a unique taste - but no matter what you use, it will be delicious!  I've tasted it with beer, Mt. Dew, and Coke, and I can't say I have a favorite because they were all equally good.  This makes an excellent Christmas gift, too - as a matter of fact, I'm sending one to my friend, Debi, along w/ her other presents!  


Next, perfect for all those holiday parties that you have to bring something for, but don't want to really MAKE anything - Tastefully Simple dip mixes are amazing!  My favorite currently is the Creamy Crab Cheeseball - you mix it w/ cream cheese & it tastes just like the inside of my favorite, crab ragoon.  Mmmm!  I actually have some of this mix in my pantry that I think I'll make this weekend.  : )  Also in my pantry, which I use not only to make dips but also as seasoning in soups, pasta dishes, and casseroles - Spinach & Herb Dip Mix.  I also enjoy the Bacon Bacon and Garlic Garlic!  


Bret is currently enjoying the Oh My! Chai - mix w/ hot water & voila!  You have a perfectly TASTEFUL blend of black tea & spices.  It's also great iced - but make sure to actually heat it up & mix it first, because just like hot cocoa mix, it doesn't dissolve well in cold water alone!  : )  Speaking of hot cocoa mix, there is a lovely Butterscotch Kisses Cocoa... Ohhhh!  


Have I tempted you with all of this deliciousness yet?  Please visit the link above & take a look at the beautiful pictures that go along with my wonderful reviews.  ; )  To tempt you even more - For the first reader to place an order via Lola's website and leave a comment to that effect, I will send you a little gift from the site, up to a $10 value.  That means, you can order some beer bread and I'll send you some Oh My! Chai to try for free!  Or whatever you'd like to try for free.  : )  


This offer is valid until there's a winner - so get over there & place your order!  As soon as I confirm it w/ Lola, I'll send you your giftee!  : )  


Until next time... 

P.F. Chang's - Chicago

Across the parking lot from Weber Grill was the architecturally interesting P.F. Chang's.  I'd been wanting to try it ever since April mentioned it.  It's one of her favorite restaurants!  Of course, we don't have one around here, so when I saw it so close, I told Mom we should take a look.  


I texted April for food suggestions... and then didn't listen to her.  BAD CARRIE.  The appetizers we got were delicious, but now I'm wondering about the lettuce wraps.  I let the lettuce turn me off w/o even seeing about them... Sorry, April.  I'll be better next time.  : )  

photo credit

So, since I didn't listen to April, below is a list of what we did have.  

CRISPY GREEN BEANS 
More addictive than potato chips



CRAB WONTONS
Crunchy wonton filled with rock crab meat and served with a side of spicy plum sauce


COCONUT CURRY VEGETABLES
Stir-fried mixed vegetables, crispy silken tofu and peanuts in a vegetarian coconut curry sauce
(Only with chicken instead of tofu *grin*)


DOUBLE PAN-FRIED NOODLES COMBO
Semi-crisp egg noodles stir-fried with vegetables and served with a combination of beef, pork, chicken and shrimp
(Only with tofu instead of all that stuff *laugh*)


As I said, the appetizers were delish!  The green beans were almost as good as Texas Roadhouse's fried pickle chips, but the sauce served w/ them was too spicy for me & mom.  They needed some Ranch to make them truly wonderful.  : ) 


I LOVED the crab wontons!  The plumby sauce they're served w/ was good, too.  Mom was not a fan, tho.  They were too "crabby" for her.  Heh.  That's what I liked about them!  : ) 


I wanted the coconut curry vegetables because it reminded me of Thai.  : )  It was ... well, I suppose it was good.  But at this point it'd gotten dark outside, and - IDK if this is a chain thing, or if it was just this particular restaurant - it was getting all moody & dark in the restaurant.  I've complained of the same thing at Outback Steakhouse.  I want to SEE my food.  I want to SEE the person I'm talking to.  I don't want to have to strain to see either.  So, I truly think the poor lighting dampened my experience enough that I didn't really enjoy my curry.  


Mom didn't really enjoy her noodles, either, and it may have been the lighting.  Or not.  I tried them, and thought they were good, tho.  Actually, wouldn't have minded having leftovers when home, but I forgot to bring them in when Mom dropped me off, and I'm sure Phil's eaten them by now!  (We packed them in ice in the cooler for the trip home.  Rah!)


So, there ya go.  My take on 4 dishes from the Chang's.  Next time - should there be a next time - I'll try the lettuce wraps, sans lettuce.  : )  


Until then, have you eaten here?  What did you think?  What did you like/not like about it?  Do share!  : )