Hey, hey. How was your weekend?
Ours was pretty relaxing but it went by too fast – as always.
On Saturday, we went to Tuscaloosa where we pretty much bought every item in Sam’s Club, or so it seemed, and I even got to go to Ann Taylor Loft! I didn’t see anything I had to have so I walked out of the store empty handed, much to Alex’s delight. We also got to have Starbucks, which is always a special treat. (After working at Starbucks for almost two years, I never thought I’d say that…) And of course, my favorite part: a trip to Target. My favorite purchase? A mango slicer. Totally righteous. I did not know they made such a device.
Tuscaloosa is still a mess from the April 27 tornado. As we were leaving Starbucks, I noticed the side of the building was all scratched up and realized that this was from the tornado, which passed just a few feet behind the store. The inside of the store has been entirely remodeled . The patio furniture was thrown through the windows and ruptured a waterline inside, completely damaging everything. In the picture, at the very top of the sandy colored square column, to the left of the Siren, you can see a piece of wood sticking out of the building. You can click on the picture to enlarge it.
This picture was taken just next door to Starbucks. Along the street were a few businesses (title loan place, gas station, tailor shop) and behind that, all the way back to the hospital that you can see standing (about a mile away), was a residential neighborhood. Most everything is still in a pile just the way the tornado left it. We saw ONE lot with the frame of a new house being built. I’m not sure what the hold up is.
I feel bad for these people, but I think there comes a point where you have to pick up and move on. People around here are so wrapped up in donations right now: bottled water, canned food, clothing, etc. but no one ever mentions the clean-up. I guess that’s why nothing is getting done – no one wants to do any of the dirty work.
Of course, we had a few good eats over the weekend.
Exhibit A: grilled salmon burger and vegenaise broccoli slaw. To add a little kick to the burger, I mixed up some dijon mustard, vegenaise, ground cayenne pepper, chili powder, a drop or two of honey, hot chili sauce, a little salt and a little pepper. It was super good. Alex didn’t eat the salmon burger, he had chicken brats instead. He claims that because he doesn’t eat seafood, he can talk to fish. Somehow, I believe him.
Since I commute 30 minutes to Starkville everyday, I can’t just go home for lunch, so I bring my own. For this week, I whipped up a chicken salad to enjoy in a whole-grain pita. It’s really easy, and really tasty.
Chicken and Feta Salad-Stuffed Pitas
adapted from Cook Healthy Today
- 1 (9-oz) can of chicken or cubed chicken breasts, fully cooked
- 3/4 cup loose-pack frozen peas, thawed
- 2/3 cup chopped tomato (1 medium)
- 1/2 cup crumbed feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp fresh dill, or 1tsp dried dill
- whole grain pita rounds
- mixed salad greens