Dining Delights | Peaches Prattlings

{February 9, 2017} Another team dinner…another new restaurant.

A great time was had by all.

Tonight we went to Carnival, a Brazilian inspired restaurant with an explosion of colors, sounds, tastes, smells and sites.

Apparently, there are times they have people swinging from the curtains and the seats, acrobatic type stuff.

We had a great time, as always. Talking, catching up, laughing, giving people grief for talking about work, just a good time. The nicest part…this team Dinner was scheduled for this week because I’m in town, isn’t that great!

We even started talking about where to go next, looking forward to it!

{February 7, 2017} Two new restaurants, great food and a new friend!

I realized I haven’t talked about places I’ve eaten lately, shame on me!

So, today, I am at a new site for training and support and I found the Eleven City Diner. Oh my! It was awesome! A gps Jewish Deli with good, fresh ingredients and piled high on the plate! I had an egg salad sandwich on challah, yum! It came with a pickle Spear and coleslaw, really good. I pigged out and ate it all! If you know me, you know I usually have leftovers, not today! This place reminded me a little of Zaftigs in Boston.

For dinner, I met up with someone I met on this project in a class and then again recently and we had hit it off the first time and decided to go to dinner. She came up with a few suggestions and Isla, a Filipino restaurant had more options than the other, it’s family owned and delicious! She had given me some vegan options the first time we meet and I haven’t been disappointed yet!

We had a great time getting to know each other, we have a lot in common, like our love of movies and travel. It was a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to the next time! I made another friend in Chicago!

{February 2, 2017} A good few days

Here’s what’s happened since I got back to the mainland.

I got to the client’s site on Tuesday and settled in. When the manager saw me she said “I’m so glad it’s you!” How great did that make me feel! I found a good restaurant for lunch, middle eastern yum! Two for two. To make it three for three I couldn’t get an Uber yesterday morning so I took a taxi. The driver was very nice and offered to pick me up today and gave me his number. I called him this morning and there he was. Cool.

Over the last two days there are so many people I remember and who remember me from training classes they attended, they have been very happy to see me, isn’t that awesome?

I had a decent veggie burger for lunch at an Irish pub. Last night’s dinner was the leftover vegan pizza from Monday night and tonight I went to a decent Chinese restaurant, all but four of the patrons, including me, we’re Chinese, a good sign in my opinion. It was cool that everyone who came in the bartender spoke to in Chinese. Made me miss JCT and her mom.

All in all, two good days, looking forward to the next two.

{February 1, 2017} I missed you!!

Oh my friends…I have missed you! I hope the feeling was a wee bit mutual.

I had such an amazing weekend that I had promised to share with you as I experienced it. Alas…Tmobile was not so friendly on the Big Island of Hawaii. So, a frustrating as that was, I’m going to be a big girl and move on and share my weekend with you now. Needless to say…it’s gonna be long one.

Here’s how my Friday, January 28th post went:

What do you do for the weekend, when you live on an island? You go to another island!

January 30th marks the two year anniversary of our first date. I don’t know if you remember me surprising PSM in Hawaii for our one year anniversary, it was awesome! It was also my first trip, of many, out here before I moved officially.

PSM surprised me with a trip to the Big Island for the weekend and here we are! He booked the tickets and the car, I got the hotel, you can guess where we’re staying!

We got to the hotel, the Hilton Waikoloa Village checked in and then headed to the room. The property is 62 acres! They have their own transportation system on the property, you can walk, of course, how yesterday! Or you can take a boat or tram!

We opted for the boat to get to our room, in the Ocean Tower. We have a very nice room with a partial view of the ocean, we can see it, not sure how partial it really is. The important thing is we can hear the ocean, sleeping with weigh A/C off and window open tonight!

The first thing we booked when we arrived was the luau and shortly after seeing the room, we left…headed to the luau.

What fun! The had a vegan option for me and PSM went to the buffet. Awesome waiter kept bringing more drinks, PSM was a happy camper.

The show itself was fabulous. Great history to learn about the Island of Hawaii. Each island has their own history, own and different stories to tell. I have to say, the fire dancing and spinning was the best! If you ever have the opportunity, do it! So much fun!

After the luau it was a nice walk back to the room, talk, laugh, catch up and then try to talk to you. A nice way to start our weekend, wouldn’t you agree?

Welcome day two. And what a day it was! We spent the day on a tour of Volcano National Park!
We toured lava tubes, which are the natural conduits which lava flows through, wow! We hiked to a volcano crater, there are hot pockets that you see and feel the steam coming up, unusual foliage, berries you can eat and berries, you shouldn’t.

We went to another part of the national park and we could see where the lava formed around a tree and then dinner at a volcano winery where they grow grapes and tea leaves.

We finished our day at an active volcano so we could see the glow in the distance, pictures cannot do it justice at all.

Sunday morning came and PSM had a relaxing massage, we met for breakfast and then headed to the airport. We flew back to Honolulu, collected our luggage, headed to check in, so my bags off, say a heartfelt farewell and I flew off to the great blue yonder back to Chicago.

Yesterday, I arrived about 630am, headed to the hotel and they had a room and that two hour nap was amazing! Then it was a day at the office, dinner with DLP at Kitchen 17, hotel and zzzzzzz…

Well, after mushy talk with PSM for our two year anniversary.

I hope you’ll forgive me for not talking to you last night.

So…it’s been great catching up with you tonight and now I am going to crash. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Goodnight!

{January 26, 2017} Wow! Thank you for asking!

Lunch today was kind of a bust, but with a twist.

I thought I’d try a new place for lunch today. No love for the vegan today, I ended up at Burger King, which I enjoy, but it wasn’t my first choice.

Before I ended up at Burger King, the last place I went to, as I was leaving after looking at the menu and mentioning there was nothing for a vegan, the bartender asked what they could have on the menu that I might want.

They were changing their menu and she would like to know what they could offer. I said for me, I would love to see a veggie burger, as I’ve told you and I told her, I don’t care if it’s frozen and they stick it in the microwave, I just want the option. I also mentioned that it shouldn’t be cooked where they cook meat, but if it is, like on a grill, cool it on tin foil.

If I want to go out for a salad, then that’s what I want, but I don’t want a salad to be my default and only option.
I thanked her for asking and she thanked me for my help and away I went…to Burger King for a veggie burger.

{January 18, 2017} Ahhh…I’m saved

I found a great farmer’s market today, I’m saved.

I’m in a city this week that doesn’t have much to offer a vegan, let alone a vegetarian. It happens, I get outside of major metropolitan cities it gets more difficult to find options for me, so I end up with a lot of takeout and a lot of Chinese takeout at that.

Sometimes I’ll go to the grocery store and today, they have more options for me, but farmer’s markets and health food stores are better. Today, I found a great farmer’s market that reminded me of Sprouts, I’m saved! I picked up vegan for dinner tonight, lunch and dinner tomorrow, I’m excited!

Yeah me and finding vegan!

{January 14, 2017} Together again

I’ve got my baby back! I just love saying that…mostly because now you’re singing it!

This past week, PSM was in St Louis for work and since he was so close, we decided to get together. He extend his time in St Louis and I booked a flight to see him.

Well, Mother Nature had other plans and sent a big ice storm his way so…rebook to Chicago for Friday and I got a hotel for the weekend and here he is!

I went into the office because I knew he would be working most of the day and I was right. About 5pm, he got off his call and then rang me as I was packing up my bag to leave.

It’s nice being together, ahh….we went to one of my favorite vegan restaurants, his idea, so very sweet of him, had a good dinner, then walked around Chicago. Eventually ended up back at the hotel to relax and eventually crash.

It’s been a great evening, talking, laughing, catching up, being silly, just right.

{January 11, 2017} Insomnia, work, nap and dinner

I am sleepy, Wahoo! And now let me tell you why I’m excited…

Last night I had a bad case of insomnia. Now, you know I sleep only about 3-4 hours a night. About once a month I’ll catch up sleeping for 8-10, maybe 12 hours. Every once in a while I get a case of insomnia. At the moment, I have been awake since 630am Tuesday.

I wanted to sleep last night, I really did, I just couldn’t. It was 11pm, then 1am, 3am and then next thing I knew, 530am, I’m not going to sleep at this point, pook.

I got up, showered, dressed and went to get breakfast and lunch for later, requested an Uber and off to the training site. I had good sessions, I was energized and on, surprisingly. I will say that by the last session, I was dragging a little.

In the Uber back to the hotel, I feel asleep! I may have been mid discussion with the driver! Oh my! I had 2 calls, closed my eyes for about 15 minutes, then up and out to meet LJ and DLP for dinner at Kitchen 17 for a deep dish vegan pizza! We had such a good time chatting, eating, catching up and laughing.

Back to the hotel to pack, talk to you and pass out! I’m tired, I should be able to sleep, wahoo!

{January 1, 2017} Hauʻoli makahiki hou! From Hawaii!

A very, very happy new year from Hawaii!

Here in Hawaii, New Years Eve is bigger than 4th of July on the mainland, it’s crazy! People have been setting off fireworks for weeks, here and there, but tonight, it’s been steady for a few hours, as soon as the clock struck 12…KABOOM

So…how did we start our day? Going to the local minute clinic to find out…we both have ear infections! That explains the ear popping, pain and discomfort last night on the flight. Is it sweet we’re both sick and on the same antibiotics? Awe…

After getting diagnosed and dropping off our prescriptions, we went home. I turned around, dropped the top on the beetle bug and went out in search of supplies, we had a party to host.

On top of that, we had Mollie to think about. She, like many other dogs, is completely freaked out by fireworks, poor girl. PSM gave her a tranquilizer, over the course of the evening, two, it was rough tonight.

I got to talk to GES and dad tonight so that was a good start to the new year…and closer to their midnight than mine!

It was a small gathering but big fun! D&M R were here with their girls, A, S and Thursday. E&D D were here with their kids, E & G. And our neighbor, A was able to join us.

We had good food and drink, even played some games, it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed spending time with everyone, getting to know them better. I’m so glad we met.

I really have to give props to the kids for taking turns, together and individually, spending time with Mollie, they had a dog who was afraid of fireworks.

By about 1045, everyone was walking out the door, PSM and I did a quick clean up then he went upstairs to calm Mollie.

At midnight the exclusions started and actually, they slowed down, but I’m not sure they stopped!

There’s so much that happened this year and I’m glad you were right there with me.

A very happy and healthy year I wish for you my friends. Happy 2017!

{December 31, 2016} A visit to Molokai

First, I’m feeling much better! So today’s post will cover two days.

Something I haven’t told you about PSM, he travels for work. He travels between Oahu, Maui and Molokai. At least once a month he’s on the other islands and this month we were able to travel together and extend the trip by a day.

We flew over to Molokai on a 6am flight, it was only about a 40 minute flight, a nice nap. We were met at the airport by a coworker of PSM’s, who drove us to the farm, they had some meetings and I was given a tour of the farms by a nice guy, J.

After the tour, PSM and I went to get some breakfast at a nice local place and then took a tour around the island. The hard part for PSM is that I had taken a nyquil before I went to sleep on Wednesday, about 130am, so of course, it didn’t hit my system until late and I was groggy all day. In between stops I was pretty much unconscious!

Our first stop was Palau’u State Park, there were two walks, well, the way I was feeling, they felt like hikes! for the Kalaupapa Overlook. If you look down along the water you can see the leper colony. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molokai

The second walk from the start was to the Phallic Rock, yup, you heard me right.

In the ancient Hawaii infertile women came here to pray, bring offerings and spend the night in hopes of conceiving a child. Even today women still come here in hopes of getting pregnant soon. http://www.to-hawaii.com/molokai/ancientsites/phallicrock.php

Next stop was a local coffee house and then a drive to a hotel that is no more. Some of the units are now private condos and a lone shop. The best part of the hotel…the beach. We sat for a bit, listened to the sound of the surf, watched some surfers, a spear fisher, laid back and had the best nap in a long time!

Next stop was our hosts house. PSM works with R, he picked us up from the airport, and his wife, L, offered to have us stay with them for the night. They live on a hill with an amazing view of the ocean, their back deck is something to see. We went to dinner at a local place and then back to the house, I turned in early, I needed to get rest and sleep of the nyquil. You know I didn’t feel well, I crashed about 730pm!

I slept until about 430am, feeling a little better. We got out of bed about 830, headed to the same breakfast place and then out to see more of Molokai. Unfortunately, we only got about 20 miles towards our destination and the rain was coming down enough that the road class get washed out enough that we could get stuck on the other side of the island! Apparently schools have been closed because of that before!

We went back to R & L’s house, they were kind enough to let us hang at their house until our flight. We tried to get on an earlier flight but all flights were booked our canceled due to the weather. We watched TV, chilled out, enjoyed the view and had dinner on that fabulous deck. PSM was in charge of shucking corn, not sure if you can see his helper, their cat, Judy.

After dinner, they drove us to the airport, we hung out waiting for our puddle jumper back to Honolulu and when it was time, a private plane! Well, it was the same baby plane-let, we were just the only ones on it!

Now home, taking needs, we’re both sick! Talk to you and lights out! Tomorrow is a new day and at midnight tomorrow…a new year!

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