Smoothie of the Day (plus going out to dinner and America's Got Talent) - August 19, 2010

Coffee smoothie before!

No bento pictures today, because today's bento wasn't particularly exciting. And I went out last night (more on that in a minute) so I needed a smoothie with a bit more kick and instead went with a coffee-based frappe/smoothie. It has cow milk, instant coffee (a single-serving instant coffee packet has the perfect amount; I got a bunch of them for free at CVS), vanilla extract, a splash of agave nectar (and yes, I'm aware of the controversy regarding agave nectar, but I have in the house so I'm going to use it), some semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a bunch of ice cubes. Oh and some frozen spinach - yep, really. I took a risk with that.

Mmm, coffee smoothie after.

Oh this was so good. It came out icy and creamy and sweet and delicious. And far cheaper than going to, say, you know, Starbucks. And no, I could not taste the spinach at all - win!

Last night I got to have a mommy-night-out with a friend. We went to Feast in Decatur, Georgia, and had a great time. I'm not a restaurant reviewer (yet?) and I didn't take any pictures, but I can tell you that I love this place; it's one of my favorite local spots, although I don't get there often enough.

We first shared a basket of "mushroom chips" that were basically lightly breaded and fried exotic mushroom caps - crimini, portobello, and shiitake, with a gorgonzola dipping sauce that I could have eaten with a spoon. So good. Plus I had an X and the City cocktail - vodka, fruity liqueurs, pomegranate. Sweet and fruity and girly and it had QUITE a kick (or I'm a lightweight...yeah, that's probably it).

For my main course, I had the only vegetarian full-plate option - the mushroom and homemade wheat linguini dish that was hearty and rich without being heavy - but I let it get cold because I was having such a great time talking about everything under the sun with my friend. That's OK, it was still good cold. It was, however, kind of a shame that I had mushrooms and then more mushrooms - I adore mushrooms, don't get me wrong, but it would've been nice to have a non-mushroom choice for my dinner. (There's also a mushroom pizza on the "small plates" menu - but again, more mushrooms - and there are two other vegetarian appetizer options, so that part is my own doing, but I really wanted the mushroom chips, as did my friend.) This is a very minor concern though, as everything was delicious. We finished with the bread pudding with white chocolate glaze that was perfection - we shared one bowl, but I could've eaten another quite easily.

Now the best part. Feast sends out emails with secret passwords from time to time. Last night, by saying "Back to School" to our waiter, we got one of the entrees for free. Fantastic. You can get on the mailing list on the website, where you can also see a full menu (which I used as a cheat sheet for this blog entry).

A few years ago I attempted to start a website on which I'd review the vegetarian options at non-vegetarian restaurants. I called it FreakMenu - so look for the FreakMenu label on posts here in which I will let you know what's available for we wacky crazy vegetarian types at various restaurants in and around Atlanta/Decatur, Georgia.

I'm watching last night's America's Got Talent results show while I write this entry. I really have enjoyed this season (unlike some other talent shows, ahem), but I am surprised that the kite-flying boy got through. He's great, but he's a sentimental choice, and I would've put both Doogie and the acrobats through instead. (During the performance, my heart STOPPED when the female acrobat dropped down. STOPPED.) I'm rooting for Prince Poppycock, AscenDance, HasPop, and Debra Romer. I like all the magicians this time around too.

PS I just found out that today's Groupon deal is a $50 Gap gift card (good in stores only, not online) for $25. That is AWESOME and I think I'm going to have to get one. You should too! (And yes, those are referral links. If you sign up, I get a Groupon credit. Thanks!)