Eat Like a Rabbit

Our first night eating local started off pleasantly in at a great little restaurant on Orange Ave. in downtown Orlando. Virgin Olive Market used to be on Clay, and I think the change in location surely must have increased its exposure. There was a nice, steady stream of customers during our entire dining experience. Virgin Olive makes the grade in a couple of areas. First, it is a fast, very friendly, and significantly cheaper restaurant than the two restaurants it's sandwiched in between. Next, it holds down the spot as a source for good coffee and breakfast in the immediate vicinity. Also, it offers healthy (generally), light, budget friendly meals on top of some unusual foodie items for sale to take home.

Although you can get a wheat pasta for cheaper sometimes, I purchased a box for $1 when it was on sale and thought it was a good idea to try it since we do like pasta a lot. Our first use was with a basic spaghetti sauce. I like to always make a basic spaghetti sauce when I am tasting a new pasta product. Our spaghetti sauce doesn't change much since I fell in love with Muir Glen brand of tomatoes. This allows me to focus on just the pasta and not on evaluating the entire dish. The second night, I used the leftover pasta and leftover fresh veggies from the shower I hosted to make a pasta primavera.

Our final decision is that whole wheat pasta tastes very robust (although the pictures look just like regular pasta). It doesn't work well for a delicate pasta sauce, but is more appropriate with hearty veggies. Still, it wasn't a favorite. We are content eating enriched semolina flour pasta instead.

Back in the middle of August, I stopped off at Target to pick up a chocolate cheesecake for a going away party at the office. I figured I was the pregnant one and therefore they had to eat what the pregnant woman wanted. Luckily, everyone was pleased with my choice (or at least pretended to be.) As I was pulling out of the shopping center, I noticed a Jason's Deli and remembered I had a gift card in my "card wallet" for dining there. I decided I'd been eating out so much, which was not in our budget originally, I would use the card to get a free lunch. Luckily, my little wrap only cost about $6; so, I have leftovers on the card to be visiting again over the next couple months--taking advantage of the vegetarian soup selection and salad bar.

Perhaps this post will talk Paul into getting me a camera for my birthday. I had expected to be done at work before lunch time, but had a surprise patient. At noon I ran out to scavenge for a lunch as I have been sick for a week and my stomach was finally getting its gumption back. All I passed as I drove a couple block radius (too afraid to drive far as I have a bad sense of direction) was a Sobik's Subs. It has been about 4 years since I have been to one and thought I would visit in the spirit of trial for ELAR. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera to take a picture of my meal.

As I entered the restaurant, two smiling ladies were working at the counter, one of them more flushed with the heat of an oven and deep fryer.