Yummy meals both made and bought.

This month I've been food spending. I'm moving (to a much better apartment, yay employment) and I've been purging myself of a lot of stuff I've never used and will never use again. Got a paper shredder (used) and I'm taking my time getting through a lot of junk in order to have a new cleaner beginning.

How does food come into play? Oh, it does. These past few weeks at my new job I've been going out and spending nearly $20 a day on food. It's been at Whole Foods and is nourishing and good, but that is a lot of money.

My goal with the move has been to take a reality check on that spending and start to make nourishing meals at home to take in to work.

'Sausage' with avocado and peppered heirloom tomatoes.

Look at those 'maters. They were very good and I was specific to MAKE myself eat them. I have a habit of buying what I 'think' I will eat and allowing it to reside at its leisure until I feel forced to eat it before it spoils then I don't.

This $5 carton lasted me all week and it was a good task for me. Glad I did it.

One of the splurges I made while I was downtown this past weekend was go to babycakes, the vegan bakery.

Clockwise: Chocolate chip brownie cupcake, red velvet cupcake,
maple glazed donut, and chocolate crumble roll.

I've gnashed on babycakes before, but I am rarely downtown, so I decided to splurge. That box of confections was just under $20! What I found sweet was the cashier asking me, "Are you okay with sugar?" I smiled and got my treats.

Out of them all, the donut was by far the best most complete experience. It was a thick donut and not too sweet. Just a great texture and flavor. The chocolate chip brownie cupcake was second. It was one of the first chocolate vegan delights that I have really, REALLY tasted the chocolate first above the cake. It's a real rich chocolate flavor that was not too sweet. The red velvet really has no taste, but the icing is great, and the crumble roll was so big I got two servings out of it! It was rich and very, very good with a cup of coffee.

I'm gonna have to learn how to make those donuts.

 Babycakes was after our lunch downtown. We went to the Nickel Diner again but this time I changed it up. I generally get their stuffed avocado with quinoa salad, but it was cool and I wanted something a bit spicier.

I got the vegan chili with a side of fries. 

So in essence a big order of vegan chili fries. It was a great meal.

But starting Monday, it's back to home made lunches.

Job Food

Working steadily has really opened up venues of eating I was never able to take advantage of before.

Going into Whole Foods with my food stamp card made me feel like less of a person. That sounds harsh, I know. I also know that was just in my head, but this WAS Whole Foods. The bastion of hippie, local and organic everything!

Now, I go in there and just swipe my card on a regular basis. My bank card. During the day, many of us take that brake called lunch and track the 5 min car ride to this grocery establishment to partake in some of their more recently cooked fare. I don't know if you know this, but that place has quite the extraordinary food bar. Oh! It's a wonderland of vegan delights. I can go to their hot bar, or their sushi bar or their deli and get something fresh, yummy and knowingly vegan.

Their deli is one of my favorite places. They label all their stuff and I just skim what is vegan and what is not, point, and say, "That one, please."

This combo was udon noodles, tofu stroganoff (very good by the way), and a mushroom medly.

It was a lot of food and this lovely self picked basket was bit over $10. 

Ten dollar on lunch!? Oh, I have arrived. The greatness of eating and picking what you want at Whole Foods is that you often get leftovers. Or rather, I, often have leftovers.

Did someone say a nice evening snack.

Sesame tofu and some split pea soup courtesy Whole Foods.

**I thought I should say this now. That tofu, that firm luscious stuff in that soup up there, has got to be some of the most delicious tofu that I have ever had. I asked the deli worker where they get it or what brand they use, and alas, it's purchased wholesale and isn't available retail. Apparently a LOT of people ask about it. Hum...that should tell them something.**

Although Whole Foods, as I'm sure most of you all know is super expensive, I'm not yet up to the point where I can load up a cart with local grown virgin farmed organic soy marshmallows, so I shop at a more sensible establishment. One we all know and love, Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's total: $49.87

This was my impulse haul this evening. Honestly, when I *do* have lunch at Whole Foods, which is not everyday,  it tends to be my only meal for the day. It's that filling and nourishing. Yet I don't want an empty fridge, so I stop up on stuff that I go through for the week.

Right now I'm eating in the rut of Tofurky sausages.

Junk food at its finest!!

Mmmm.

I have not been baking a lot lately because of work and the fact I'm moving soon. So excited to be moving. I feel like the Jeffersons. I'm 'movin' on up'!

I do think I might make sugar cookies this weekend. We will see.