Family Fun

Stephen has drill, so I decided to spend this weekend at my parents? house.  Thus far, it?s been a relaxing weekend filled with my mom?s cooking and some mother/daughter shopping adventures.  Let?s first begin with a rewind to Friday though.

Friday

Breakfast was a Marmite experiment brought to you by Tamzin.

The other day, I received this parcel from England.

Inside was a pretty pink box.

Filled with goodies!

I was the lucky winner of Tamzin?s Marmite giveaway.  She was kind enough to throw in some extra treats too!  But I think my favorite part of the package might just be the Hello Kitty stationary. 

I hold a special place in my heart for Hello Kitty and her friends. 

So, on Friday morning, I thought I?d do a marmite taste test.  According to Tamzin, marmite tastes good with almond butter and tahini.

I spread the thick, tar-like marmite on Ezekiel bread.  (I tried to think of a more appetizing adjective than tar-like but to no avail.)

And there it is.  I spread almond butter on one piece of toast and tahini on the other. 

The verdict?  Tamzin was right.  Marmite has a very strong taste!  It?s not bad though – just different.  It tastes a lot like very salty, thick soy sauce.  Overall, I liked it.  I think I will be doing some more Marmite experiments in the days to come. 

Side note- It?s so interesting to think that although this food is foreign to me, some people in England probably eat it every day!

Fast forward a bit to Friday after work.  I ran a quick 3 miles on my apartment complex?s treadmill, showered, and hit the road to my parents? house.

When I arrived, I was greeted by my beloved Beatrice.

Click video to watch. 

Beatrice is a sassy thing, isn?t she?  Curious about why Beatrice is so rotund?  Click here.

After I gave Beatrice a substantial amount of attention, my mom served dinner.

One of her famous homemade pimento cheese sandwiches, lightly sautéed kale, and beets.  This meal hit the spot!

As usual, Beatrice joined us on her perch for dinner.

After eating, my mom and I watched some television.  We caught up on a couple Episodes of You Are What You Eat and then called it a night. 

Does anyone else watch this show?  Are you not appalled by the close up shots of Gillian?s victims in their undergarments?  You can see everything, if you know what I mean.

Saturday

My mom and I had plans to hit up a few food and clothing stores.  But before our shopping excursion, the family sat down to breakfast.  Breakfast in this house is always a free for all. 

Check out my dad?s meal.

Aspartame sweetened yogurt and sugary cereal.  Now my father is a trim man with a clean bill of health, but sometimes I just have to laugh at what he consumes.  He is the only member of my family whom I cannot influence the eating habits of.  My mom drinks green monsters and my sister eats mung beans, but my dad continues to subsist on Tab and eat Cheez Its. 

Hmmm?.I wonder where my past love of artificial sweeteners and processed foods came from?

On to shopping?

It was long past due for a trip to Amazing Savings.  I had never visited the fair grounds location.  And boy, oh boy was I in for a treat!

This is what it looks like on the outside.  What an ambiance!

Amazing Savings was the highlight of my day, but we also hit up Dillard?s, TJ Maxx, and a local Asian grocery store.

Today?s shopping damage totaled $35.  With the exception of the La Tourangelle Grapeseed Oil and shredded coconut, I purchased everything pictured at Amazing Savings. 

Let?s take a closer look:

After a long day of shopping, neither my mom nor I felt like cooking, but we managed to make an absolutely scrumptious dinner.

Browned cauliflower pasta served with broccoli  

We chopped up some cauliflower, sautéing it in grapeseed oil and a tiny bit of butter.  We also added some basil.

Then we served the cauliflower with whole wheat pasta noodles and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 

This meal was perfection, and I think what made it so delicious was the grapeseed oil.  If you?ve never tried grapeseed oil, you must!

We ended the meal with a slice of lemon cheesecake.

I?m not a huge fan of cheesecake, but I loved this.  It?s made with both cream cheese and ricotta.  Awesome combo!

***

I?m going to end this post with some pictures of Irvin, the sometimes forgotten cat.  Irvin is so relaxed, he is often overshadowed by the feisty and needy Beatrice.

Irvin is obsessed with this chair in my mom?s art room.

He perches on it.

He stretches on it.

And he curls up for naps on it.

I think sleepy cats are so adorable.

***

Well, I?m off for a run.  See you all tomorrow! 

Don?t forget to enter my Zevia giveaway!!!

Question: How do you all feel about springing forward?

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