Butter, Margarine…or Other?

((Geez, I’ve been working on this post since 8am.  Can you believe that?  It’s been one of those days…))

I went a little different with breakfast this morning.  If you can’t tell, I’m more of a oats, yogurt and/or fruit kind of gal to start off my day, but every once in a while will have eggs, pancakes, french toast or bagels.

I was excited for my breakfast this morning because I was going to try a new product, with the addition of another product to make it an old favorite!

 

I toasted up a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel by Rudi’s Organic and had half of it with some Publix Natural PB and Crofters Fruit Spread…

and the other half with some Brummel & Brown Butter and Crofters Spread. This is flashback to when I was a kid and stayed at my grandma’s house.  Most mornings, if we weren’t having pancakes, she always had toast with margarine and strawberry jam on top.  I’ll never forget the flavor combo…family love.

 

But what about you?

Are you a BUTTER person?  MARGARINE person?  OTHER person?

I grew up using margarine, specifically Country Crock, for as long as I can remember.  We mainly used it on our banana bread, toast and grilled cheese, but otherwise that was about it.

 

I have never been much of a butter fan not having had it very much and actually, never used it in my baked goods either, but margarine sticks by companies like Imperial.  I  might have had Land O Lakes a few times in my life but in reality, I couldn’t tell you if I liked it or not.  I don’t remember.

 

But I still do have a coupon for this KerryGold Butter…and I might consider getting some next time I’m out.  If I don’t like it as a spread, then I suppose I could use it for baking. We’ll see…I’m not much of a butter for spread person.

Otherwise right now I have this Brummel & Brown Butter made with Natural Yogurt.  My coworker Brit uses it often in both her food and baking so I thought I would give it a shot.  It seems pretty healthy at 45 calories a tablespoon…

until I took a closer look and noticed it had partially hydrogenated soybean oil.  Boo.  I try to stay away from that stuff, but now that I have two small containers of this…well, I can’t waist my money!  But,  I will say that it had a nice creamy and smooth texture and tasted very similar to butter (if I’m correct in even recalling what butter tastes like!).

I spent the morning doing a whole lot of data entry and when lunch finally came around I was freak’n hangry.  I think I was still calorie deficit from that swim and run yesterday!  Yeep!

For lunch I had an open faced sandwich with Laughing Cow Light Cheese, some chickpeas mixed and smashed with roasted corn and black bean salsa, diced tomato and mini portobello mushrooms.  On the side I had some lettuce leafs that I used almost as a sandwich top to eat this beast!

I ended the meal with two TJ’s Jo Jo’s, and a handful of peanut m&m’s.  They are going to be the death of me.  Or all things with chocolate…and sugar.  Damnit…I swear clean eating will come to me one day…

I spent the afternoon working outside and finally got a break for a snack a few hours later.  I still have some of those PB and Carrot Cookies so I had three of those with some Crofters Fruit Spread, along with quite a bit of this Trail Mix, AGAIN.

I just kept eating it because in reality, I could have had an early dinner and worked with that, but wanted to go for a run and didn’t want to eat a filling meal.  Ergo…a bigger than needed snack, dangit.  Oh well.

Shot off for a sweet 4.0 run in the DARK, which actually somehow makes me go so much faster…or maybe it just feels that way because it’s dark.  It’s the exact opposite when I’m driving through, I feel like I’m going pretty fast but really, it’s the speed limit or slower.  Yeep.

I got home and cleaned up, was informed of more of tomorrow’s crazy plans, and cleaned up to ready for a fast dinner.  Nothing special, just one of those veggie hummus sandwiches I’ve been having this week…seems to be my meal as of late huh?  It works well after runs when I don’t feel like eating anything but need to get in some protein (hummus) and nutrients (veggies).

And of course I had dessert…three more PB and Carrot Cookies…Thank god they’re almost gone.  At least they’re not too calorie dense (80-85 a cookie!).

Ok, I have to get ready for a very long day tomorrow.  They’re finally doing the burn we’ve been waiting for so work is going to be insane.  I can’t wait for it to be over…I just want to get it done!  The anticipation of exhaustion is just killing me!

What? Swim? Me? What?

Whew, I am super beat!  I had probably the most insane workout in the a while today!

But lets start with the rest of the day shall we?

I slept really well last night…like didn’t wake up at all (which I usually do because I hear the slightest things and light always gets me) and got a solid 8 hrs of sleep!  I think the weekend is finally catching up with me…but anyhow.

You know as the weather gets more hot and sticky here in FL hot oats no longer become an option so I work on getting in the cold foods I miss during winter: Greek Yogurt!

Today I topped mine with 1/2 the GoLean Crisp Sample I got from Kashi in the mail yesterday along with some strawberries and a banana that was way too freak’n ripe.  Yuck.  I fought my way through this mess.  Hahaha…

We headed out to the field today to do some decoy work and before hitting up the islands and wading around in the muck I had a Apple Cinnamon Zbar.  Def my second favorite…after the Brownie one. :)

Work, work, work and we settled for lunch.  I had a spinach wrap.  But guess what was in it?

Nope, not vegetables like you’d think, but apple slices, almond butter and dried cranberries!

It was actually a good combo for this flavor wrap…it was almost like having a green smoothie, in solid forms though!  I also snacked on a bit of the Antioxidant Mix from NutsOnline that I got last week.  I love all the berries in this mix!!!

We got home a few hours later and I snacked on just over an once of some Cabot Cheese and three Multigrain Crackers.

And some of the TJ’s Trail Mix Jasmine sent me!  I made sure to only take two handfuls so the bag wouldn’t be gone in oh, like two days?  Haha!

Then it was time to get in a workout.  I had been talking to my coworker Brit about swimming a bit and truthfully, I’ve always been afraid to do it because I thought I was horrible! But apparently not! 

Before the swim though, I went out and did a leisure 6 mile run in the nice sun!  Too bad the warmth of it on my back through my t-shirt made my sunburn turn into BLISTERS.  Boo…so painful!

After getting back and drinking a ton of water, we headed over to the YMCA.  But not before I got a chance to read over Ryan’s great tutorials on How to Swim Pt. 1 and Pt. 2!  It was a bit much to take in, as I learn better from example and working with someone at that moment rather than reading it and doing it from there, but I did remember quite a few things while swimming.

Dude, it was SO MUCH FUN!  I’ve always said that I hate swimming because when I did it in college it was all aquajogging and I HATED IT.  Despised it to no end and thought it was horrendously boring!  But actually swimming?  What a blast! 

I was terrified in the beginning because I thought I was going to look like a fish out of water, but to my surprise, I only had one or two things to fix!  I also caught on really quick about how to breath on both sides while doing free style instead of just my right!  Along with free style I also did quite a bit of the breath stroke because it’s my favorite!  I think in total I did between 800-900 yards of swimming.  I felt awesome afterwards!

It took a bit to get used to the breathing since well, all I know is that my breathing is horrible while running, but everything worked out great!  I can’t wait  get out there and do it again!!!  I might have to invest in my own YMCA membership and not rely on Brits free guest passes. ;)

I came home completely ravenous as you can imagine and made an awesome stir fry for dinner.  It included:

• garlic
• onion
• olive oil
• soy sauce
• asparagus
• mushrooms
• broccoli
• bell pepper
• bamboo shoots
• water crests
• 1 egg and 2 whites
• 2/3C brown rice

 

It was awesome eats for dinner.

And of course I rounded it out with dessert: half a dozen strawberries and a handful of NutsOnline Roasted Cashews.  I feel much better now!

We’re getting ready for an intense weekend of field work if everything pans out so I’m hitting the sack early.  And besides, my workout kicked my butt!

Easter Plans?

I come from a family that is big on holidays throughout the year.

We get together for the main ones like Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Japanese New Year (ie regular New Year) but with my job, I’m normally away for most of them.  It makes it hard to get through them without my family but luckily I have friends wherever I go that offer up their home and families to help fill the hole I feel every time I miss an event!

But, enough about my wallowing: What kind of plans do you have for Easter?  Does your family have any traditions on the day?  Do you color eggs or hunt for the plastic ones? Or do you play games with family and friends? 

Normally my family makes the hard boiled eggs the day before and we color them to our heart’s content and end up dying our fingers in the process.  We also work on making Easter Baskets for my little cousins and such and fill plastic eggs with CANDY and MONEY.  Well, not a lot, but some.  I definitely like those the $$$ ones the most! ;)

Anyhow, I spent the afternoon running errands and applying for A TON OF JOBS and am keeping my fingers crossed for a call back soon.  Things aren’t going as fast as I’ve experienced in the past with my field applications…but every season is different! 

I suppose you could say I had some healthy snacks throughout the afternoon like dried edamame and peanut butter pretzel nuggets…but might have made them not so healthy because they were COVERED IN CHOCOLATE.  Oh whoa is me I can never stop eating things covered in chocolate…even when my belly screams otherwise.

And how do I not learn from this when I know that even 2+ hrs later and I go for a 4.8 mile run, my belly is most definitely going to be upset from those foods?  Will I ever learn?  Obviously NOT; geezzzzz…It was still a good run because I ran the second half at a much faster pace than the first and felt good (other than my belly) in my legs and energy.

Pishah!  Finishing up I showered and shot back out the door to head over to the new Publix that just opened!  I totally stocked up on fresh fruits and greek yogurt of course…I just need to spruce up how I use them!

I was craving savory and vegetables when I got home, and because I was lazy, settled on a veggie sandwich.  I’m so boring.  I was looking forward to the fried rice I talked about earlier because I got a fun ingredient in a care package today, but simply had no time…since we got back and I was eating at like, 8.45!

Your typical veggie hummus sandwich.  I’m just a bucket full of sunshine!

The first package I got in the mail today was a free sample from Kashi!  I had yet to try their new GoLean Crisp with the toasted berry crumbles!

I can’t wait to have this in my yogurt tomorrow!  What fruit do you think I should use?  I have a choice between bananas, strawberries and pears!

Next up was the sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetest package from the sweeeeeeeeeeeeetest blogger:

Jasmine from Sweet and Fit!

She saw me ranting on Twitter about not having a Trader Joe’s in Florida and was kind enough to offer up sending me a package with some of my favorite items!  This girl knows a way to my foodie heart!

I am a huge fan of TJ’s Granola and was excited that she was able to get me my favorite kind: Lowfat Granola with Almonds.  Tasty tasty!  She also included a jar of their Organic Creamy PB to boot!  Can you believe I’VE NEVER  HAD A TJ’S NUT BUTTER!?  What a tragedy…until now!

 

She also included not just one, but THREE BOXES of my now favorite Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix!  The ones made by Jello never work and thicken up with the Almond Breeze I use, but this one…oh man!  It’s a party in my mouth for my tastebuds…I swoon.

 

I also got a sweet stash of bread and muffin mixes to try out!  I feel like such a TJ’s newbie because I’ve never tried these things!  I guess I’m always a sucker for their frozen goods and chocolates…;)  I can’t wait to try these as soon as I get a chance to bake!

 

She was also sweet enough to get me one of TJ’s greatest Trail Mixes on the planet, their Sweet, Savory and Tart Trek Mix.  Who can pass up a trail mix with pb chips in it?!?!?!?!

And last but not least she included some items to reflect the Asain side of my foodie self:

I got the package before my run and dinner and was stocked for the mix on the left because it goes in fried rice!  Too bad that didn’t work out for today…definitely some time this week!  And the Pocky, but with chocolate and almonds!?  Give Me Now!  I don’t know I’ve seen these and I’ve seen a lot of varieties of them…so I’m excited it try!

Alright, I’ve got a field day to prep for tomorrow…Hopefully I’ll have something fun to report from out adventures!

Ohhhh!  But I forgot to tell you all I have a sweet video post I’m working on to show you the fun we had Gator Spotting last Thursday night! I don’t have a video maker program or anything and am looking for a free one that might be online…anyone use one? I’m up for suggestions!

Good night lovelies!

Through the Fog and the Rain…

What a morning to wake up to!  Err…

Oh!  But…Did you miss my more interesting posts from this weekend though? About Meat? And Fishing?

Ok well, it really wasn’t that pleasant.  It was really humid as the thunderstorms were waiting to roll through…so I was lazy and lounged around instead of going for a rain when I knew it wouldn’t be raining.  Oops.  There’s always this afternoon/evening…but only if I feel like it.  No forcing going on here!  And if I really do and it’s raining, time for a nice wet run!  Which btw, I actually enjoy sometimes; makes me feel hardcore!

Yeah, that was totally random.  As you can tell my mind is a bit everywhere right now!  I’ve been staring at pictures of tiny white dots on big green islands so you can imagine how my brain is a bit whacked out right now.  At least I’m fueling up right!

After this weekends extravaganzas I was set to get back to my regular eating!!!  With it being warmer and more humid, hot oats have gone out the window (and I’m not eating breakfast cookies because somehow they don’t keep me full) and yogurt is now in!  I’m still working with my same mixtures but putting some variation to the fruits and toppings!  Kinda…

• 1/2C Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
• Pear
• 2T Back to Nature Original Granola
• 1T regular PB
• 1T Crofters America Spread
• and lots of cinnamon of course

Like I said, I stared at the computer this morning…and to keep me from passing out I snacked on a cup of mixed honey nut cheerios and some Cascadian Farms cinnamon squares cereals.  So entertaining, I know.  Can I be any more fun?

I finally set on lunch about oh, 1/2 an hour ago?  It’s currently 1:30.  That’s a late lunch for me!  I’ve got some chickpeas that I need to eat so I mixed them with some spicy black bean and corn salsa, topped off with Cabot’s Cheddar Cheese in a Spinach FlatOut Wrap!  All the burners on the stove were either being used or out of reach so I threw this sucker in the microwave and voila!  Just as melty and crispy as I like it!

I thought I could conquer my sweet tooth with a small apple, but alas, I knew that wouldn't’ be the case.  This girl just can’t live w/o her chocolate for the day:

I <3 M&M’s.  Key to my heart…well, unless you get my daisies or yellow roses.  That works too.  And of course really good chocolate…cause really, Mars candy is horrid compared to others!

Off to do more work!

I need suggestions for dinner though!!!!  I was thinking of a fried rice with some eggs, veggies and brown rice…gosh that seems boring.  Any other suggestions?  I’ve got lots of ingredients but no creativity at the moment!

MIA for Good Times!

Oh man, what a weekend!

But first of all, thank you to every single one of you who responded to my thoughts on whether I should go back to eating meat, occasionally. 

I think as of right now, just in my head (so who knows if when it come down to it if it will actually happen), I will eat meat if I find the want to, but it will most likely be at a restaurant or something of the sorts (maybe weddings or parties).  I’ve been getting a bit more interested in fine dining and trying out really good, expensive and delicately plated food and I feel like meat is a necessity in these places.  It’s not often you find a really good place with Vegan or Vegetarian Tasting Menus (unless you have suggestions!  I am all for them!). 

In addition to wanting to try fine dining, I do kind feel like I’ve been missing out on quite a few meat dishes that I had never eaten before I became a vegetarian.  I know that everyday I look at Foodgawker I am jealous of the meat dishes and want to try some of them.  So I’ll take it slow, start off with some fish dishes if the want is there, and work up.  Otherwise, if it’s a dish I’m not too fond of or have had before, then I won’t try it.  I’m all about being unique, trying new flavors and combinations, and enjoying the pleasure and experience of eating new things.

Now some of you asked me to look at my values behind why I became a vegetarian and even my current diet and seek those factors when deciding when to eat meat.  The main reason I don’t eat meat is ENVIRONMENTAL and HUMANE reasons.  As an environmentalist I know a lot about how farms are destroying our precious earth and soils, how we feed more corn/soy to our farm/butchered animals than we do to humans, etc.  I also am aware the the conditions which many of these animals live, grow up in and are subsequently killed (sometimes ripped off flesh while still alive) and it breaks my heart.  It pangs my heart to know that pigs are just as smart or even smarter than dogs yet we eat them…and many seem to think it’s no worse for wear.

Anyhow, like I said, I’ve made the decision in my head.  But really, that could be mean nothing.  It could come down to me ordering a plate of sashimi, wild game or something and I have it in front of me, but I simply won’t be able to eat it. 

We’ll just see how it goes, I’ll take my time, and be happy no matter what with the decisions I decide to make on the matter.

Thank you again for all your input and support!  I was actually quite surprised by the abundance of reaction on the subject!  I love a good debate!

--

Anyhow, I am so sorry I went MIA on you this weekend! I was offered another fishing trip by my friend and couldn’t pass it down!  That meant limited access to internet and cameras, so I’m sure you get the picture (hah).  But I have been having a blast being able to go down to Key West and out on a boat!  You’d think I’d be sick of it, working on one all the time, but these are two different things!  It was an amazing experience this weekend!

I left Saturday morning just before 8am after running a dark and breezy 4 mile run! I ran early to get it done and because it’s cooler, but I made the mistake running w/o my contacts and I couldn’t see a freak’n thing!  It was horrible not knowing what I was stepping on or how far away the cars were!  Luckily I had my trusty flashing red light to tell al the cars, “Hey you, there’s a runner on the road, please be aware.”  And for all my runner friends, please get one of these and wear them if you run in the dark early in the morning or late at night!  It could save your life!

I shot off like a bat out of…a cave (hahaha) for the 2.5 hr drive to Key West.  I packed a breakfast to take along with me to eat on the road:

Yogurt Mess

• 1/2C Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
• Cinnamon
• Apple
• Strawberries
• 1T Natural PB
• 2 T Back to Nature Original Granola

This held me over for quite some time thankfully because as soon as I got there, out on the water I went!  It’s amazing that my friend has been able to grow up, living such an awesome life in Key West all the time, being on a boat, fishing…the works!  I’m envious!  But when I think about it, I suppose I grew up with beaches, the mountains and the desert whenever I wanted!  Just two different realms I suppose!

Isn’t it gorgeous!

I brought along a banana and almond butter sandwich not knowing what I was going to eat, but luckily my friend’s mom provided a sweet smorgasbord of stuff that I did snack on a bit like hummus, chips and fruit salad.

The earlier part of the day was spent catching bait fish for the fishing we would be doing later on…I kinda stood/sat around and watched my friend do all the hard work:

 

That was a good cast!  Time to pull it back in now…

And fill up the live bait well!  I already forgot what the fish were called…but they had tube noses!

After dropping off some things and getting necessities for our next boat trip offshore, we headed out on our next endeavor!  But before we left I had an apple and an apple zbar, knowing full well I wouldn’t be eating for a while.

The boys had plans of trying to catch some sailfish and tuna, which they came close to catching, but ended up coming home with this:

KINGFISH!!!

They estimated this baby at about 17-20 lbs.  I never held it so I wouldn’t know.

It was big and bloody though!

 

We finished and pulled everything in just before sunset…and my picture does it no justice.  I wish I had had my other camera to take the picture but really, you just gotta be there.  Absolutely amazing.

 

We got back around 9pm and you can bet I was starving, ready to eat my arm, and hangry to the max.  I bet I was a joy to be around, LOL.  I was lucky in that my friend’s dad had grilled some eggplant, red bell peppers and poblano peppers on the grill earlier with some spices (that I freak’n need because it had AMAZING flavor!) along with making some rice and a fresh salad.  I was in heaven as you can imagine.  So tasty…

We headed out downtown for some fun which ended pretty late…and lets just say, I might be catching up with all the parties I missed in college with these kinds of outings…LOL.  I definitely like my yuengling now!

I slept really late this morning as you can imagine and hung out until I had to head back home.  I had two huge red delicious apples and a Berries Omega Odwalla Bar on the drive home.  By the time I arrived, unpacked and cleaned up I was hungry again…for veggies and fresh food! 

I made an awesome wrap for dinner which included:

• chickpeas
• laughing cow light cheese
• cucumbers
• tomatoes
• lettuce
• pepper
• spinach flat out wrap

On the side I also had a 1/4 of a cantaloupe to suffice the sweet tooth…which of course didn’t last long because shortly after I had a big handful of Dark Chocolate Covered Edamame!  My tub is almost gone! Wahhh!

Whew! As you can guess I’m exhausted, completely sunburned (aloeeeee here I come) and in need of a very good night of sleep!  I hope you all had a great weekend; what was the highlight of yours?! Tell Tell!

Am I Missing Out?

I’ve been pondering this idea for a while, but am still having a hard time coming to a conclusion for it:

Should I try eating meat again?

Now, let me put this straight: I don’t want to eat meat just to eat meat.  I don’t miss the taste of the things I used to eat or anything like that.  And I don’t want to eat it all the time, in many of my meals.  I just want to taste the things, I have yet to taste.

So the real reason why I want to try eating meat again: I feel like I’m missing out.  Missing out on what?  Everything meat entails!  I have realized over the years all the things to eat I have missed out on because there was meat in it.  I know more restaurants are catering more towards vegetarians and such, but what if I wanted to do a fine dining taste menu full of meat?  What do I do then when I go, just sit there and smile pretty?  I don’t think so.

This whole realization has also made me realize all the meat dishes that I have never tried in my life: Filet Mignon?  Gyros?  Sushi?  Sashimi?  Brazilian BBQ?  Pot Roast?  Brisket?   Empanadas?  Tamales?  Menudo?  Duck?  Wild Game?  Fish?

I’m still pretty torn over the whole thing.  I love the fact that I’m a vegetarian and have been for 8 strong years.  I love the dishes that I eat and substitutes I’ve started to use to replace meat in my diet.  But I still fee like there are so many things out there I have yet to try!

I guess it’s hard being a foodie sometimes.

What do you think?  Should I go back to trying meat, but really only when it’s something I’ve never had and would like to try?  Or should I stick to my guns and stay a veg-head 100%?

Also…any tips on how to make sure I don’t get sick by eating meat again?  I’ve seen many friends go through being vegetarians then carnivores again and they get SO SICK.  I really want to try and avoid that…

Have a good night!

Sample Time

My coworkers and I had a nice product sampling last night with the products I got in my sampler package from NutsOnline yesterday!  So many good reviews for you!

We first started off with the dried mango.  If you’ve been reading the blog as of late, you know that I LOVE MANGO.  I would eat one every single day if they weren’t so expensive.  I am a bit particular about my mango though, as the Kent variety are my favorite.  They always seem so much sweeter than the others!

Anyhow, we tried the dried pieces and I was in heaven!  They are made of just mangoes, no sugar or sulfides added, so I was happy about that.  The sweetness was just right, but they were a bit tough to chew on.  I definitely got a workout for my teeth! 

Next off was the Dried Apricots.  I am not a fan of apricots, dried or fresh, so I had my coworkers and boss try these.  They really liked the flavor and said it wasn’t too sweet like some other varieties you might find at the grocery store, and had just the right degree of chewiness!

 

We moved onto something everyone (except me) thought would be a bit sweeter, but they were up for a surprise.  Never having had Raw Cacao Nibs before, they were taken back at the more bland and bitter taste of these.  I’ve had quite a few varieties of these nibs and thought they were the least bitter I’ve ever had, but still delicious!  One of my coworkers described the taste as being similar to Black Walnuts, which I found interesting.  I can definitely taste the chocolate in them, but only after about 20-30 seconds after chewing on them.

We moved onto some of the trail mixes and started with the Power Mix which included roasted Virginia peanuts (no salt), light raisins, dark raisins, dried strawberries, dried cherries, dried cranberries, and roasted soy beans (no salt).  This mix freak’n rocks!  I loved the huge raisins, especially the light ones!  And I’m a big fan of soy beans so that was exciting to find in the package with one of my other favorite nuts, peanuts!

  

Next we tried the Antioxidant Mix, which I think just might be my favorite of the bunch!  Can you believe that before now I had never had a mulberry, gooseberry or goji berry!?  What rock have I been hiding out under!?  These are absolutely awesome!!! 

Everyone had different opinions on the different parts of the mix (which also included brazil nuts and raw cacao nibs).  We were trying each of the dried fruits separately to get the taste of them, and then mixing them with the nuts and nibs.  I really really liked the gooseberries; they were sweet and chewy and reminded me a fig, but had a super tart taste at the end!  My face was definitely pinched, but I loved it!  One of my coworkers loved the gooseberries just as much while the other didn’t like the tartness that I took a fondness to.  More for me!

We all enjoyed the goji berries and the mulberries though!  I loved the strong flavor of the goji berries and the chewiness was just right!  Everyone else thought the same and enjoyed the mulberries even more!  I was a bit cautious upon trying them since they kinda reminded me of black sage I’d seen in the canyons around my school, but obviously gave it a shot.  Holy Yum!  Super tasty and not so chewy and sticky enough to get caught in my teeth!

I want to buy all these berries in BULK!!!  Foodbuzz needs to pay me more so I can do so…LOL.

Lastly we tried the Simply Fruit Cocktail which is a mix of freeze dried apples, bananas, peaches, pears, strawberries, red grapes.  Such a great treat!  I love freeze dried fruit to put in things like oats but whenever I see them at WF they’re so expensive.  Anyhow, I tried every kind and talk about heaven!  I really enjoyed the bananas since I don’t like dried bananas/banana chips…and these were perfect!   I can’t wait to try them in different ways!  How would you use freeze dried fruit?

It was an early morning for me as I had to drop one of my workers off at the airport so after leaving at 6am and having a pretty crappy night of sleep, you know I went back to bed when I got home…and didn’t wake back up until 10am!

But I need to adjust my schedule a bit since I’m going to be doing a night survey tonight looking for gators at tree islands so I’ll be working from 5pm to 2am!  But I’m sure it’ll be fun!

Alright, I’m off to nap and get some stuff done!