Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Today’s post is all about the things I’ve been obsessing over… and a little flashback!
Whew! Friday has finally arrived. Is it just me, or did this week drag? Usually when we set the clocks ahead the week seems to fly by – not this time! I’m definitely not complaining, though. Time goes by too fast anyway, so a dragging week from time to time is a good thing. 

I definitely love this time of year. Spring is close by, the birds are singing in the morning, and it’s not dark at 5pm! 

Now onto the things I’ve been loving over the past 2 weeks…

1. Chicken and Broccoli

Ever since I had to give up gluten, the one thing I’ve missed has been Chinese takeout. I didn’t eat it very often, but every now and then when we didn’t know what to have for dinner (or I just didn’t feel like cooking) it was our go-to. My favorites were wonton soup and chicken and broccoli. Back in January I posted a recipe for my takeout favorite. I’ve made it several times since then. Most of which, have been in the last 2 weeks!

In that time, I ended up tweaking the recipe slightly as I felt it was missing a key flavor. I made a single portion for lunch the other day and decided to take some new photos! So be sure to check it out the new and improved recipe and photos here. 

2. Whole Foods

Confession: I’m a grocery store snob. I’ve been a loyal shopper at Wegmans since high school. My mom and I used to go every two weeks, get dinner at their cafe and then shop. When I moved away to college I lived 5 minutes away from a Wegmans. Once I graduated college I moved back home and worked 5 minutes away from a Wegmans. I was there once a week…sometimes more. Last year when Kyle accepted a job in Delaware, the first thing I looked for was a Wegmans. There are no Wegmans stores in the entire state of Delaware. I may have cried. 

We spent a day here apartment hunting a few months before we planned on moving. During that trip we went on a grocery store tour. I went to acme, giant, and shop rite. None compared to my beloved Wegmans! The closest one was an hour away…which I did go to a few times. I tried Trader Joe’s, which I do like, but not enough to do my regular shopping. 

I had shopped at Whole Foods a few times in the past, but not often since there weren’t any around where I grew up. I decided to look for one of those in the area and found the closest one to be just across the border in PA – about a half-hour away. Finally! 

Ok, that was a longer story than I thought. Anyway, onto why Whole Foods made it into my favorites. Ever since going gluten-free, my diet has shifted from wheat-laden foods to fresh produce and meats. Whole Foods has a spectacular produce section and even better meat counter. Plus, everyone is SO friendly! 

3. Strawberry Rhubarb Marmalade Candle

I’m a huge sucker for bath and body work’s candles. They have such great scents and I always make it a point to stock up when they have their 2 for $24 deal. I went to the mall over the weekend to check out the spring scents and when I saw strawberry rhubarb I knew I had to have it! It smells SO GOOD. And incase you didn’t know, strawberry rhubarb pie was my favorite dessert during my childhood. My grandmother always made one (along with a plain rhubarb one) with our homegrown rhubarb. I have her recipe for plain rhubarb pie up on my blog – check it out!

4. Cheese Curls

I’ve said many times that my guilty pleasure is popcorn. Well, popcorn is a fairly healthy snack option and I don’t feel too guilty when I eat. Cheese curls on the other hand are the one thing that I just can’t resist and feel completely guilty after I eat them. Clearly it started at a young age – that photo is from around 1989. I never buy cheese curls. The only time I indulge is when I’m home visiting – my mom and I can easily get carried away and eat the whole bag! Last weekend my parent’s came to visit me and of course they came with a bag of cheese curls. I bet you can guess what my evening snack was all week!

Have a great weekend everyone!