Cat post. Sorry.

I bought a bag of cat food this afternoon because we were out.  It's the same kind they've been eating for a year but anytime I open a new bag it's just as exciting as the first time.  So exciting that Llorca starts eating it as soon as I pour it into the plastic tub even though the same food is in his bowl.

Social D!

After we finished the last few details of our taxes and mailed off the immigration paperwork on Monday we set off on our Valentine adventure to Chico!

We checked in to our hotel and went to the Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant.  It was really busy for a Monday night but that may have been because it was a big night in Chico.  When we were leaving the hotel a bro yelled at V, "You going to Social D?!!!" and did some sort of fist pump while his girlfriend looked down at the ground.

At the Restaurant we sat at the bar and waited for our table.  I've upgraded from Bud Light. V ordered me a light beer that I actually enjoyed.  They offer 4 beer tastings for 3$ so we did that and waited for our appetizer and then we ordered another 4 while we waited for our dinner.

Guess which beers are mine?

There are a lot of beers that you can only get at the actual Brewery and some others that you can only get in Chico.   The food at the restaurant was really tasty too.  We want to go back!  After dinner we wandered around town and had a drink at two bars.  Duffy's was not so good with 6 people in it and professional poker on the TV but the Banshee was fun.  There, one guy sang purple rain really, really loudly trying to impress a lady who wasn't interested and later two girls were getting into an argument near the bathroom about who they wanted to go home with that night.  Monday night in Chico.  Exciting!

V always goes nuts for holidays.  As if the surprise getaway, the tasty meals and cozy hotel weren't enough, he gave me gifts.  Plural!  Some fancy lotion that I recently ran out of and this set of glitterific polish.  I think I might try the gold first.

I love diners, and serious breakfasts once in a while.  On Valentine's Day morning we ate at this place that was decorated with red and silver tinsel hearts. All the employees were wearing red and there were two red cars parked out front, and one old pink Cadillac too.

It was cheaper to get two giant plates of food than to order the bacon, sausage, and hash browns which is all I wanted.  It's all about being economical, even if that means pigging out on something you don't want to eat.

Chico has so many great signs in town.  Most businesses have those old timey painted windows with the deals and specials painted right on the window. I'd like to go back just to take photos of all the different window art and fancy fonts on the old signs.

After our brunch we drove South to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge in Willows.  The Refuge has a  Wetland walking trail that takes about an hour.  We saw coots, a jackrabbit, buffleheads, hawks, herons and other birds that I can't remember but V knows all the names of by heart.

How not to look at birds

How to look at birds

There's also an auto trail for cars only where you slowly drive around a giant loop to check out the wildlife.  We saw so many different birds!  If you get out of your car at an undesignated spot you can be fined up to 275$.  We saw some nerd doing just that trying to get a photo of an egret.

A stop at one of the sections where you can get out of your car. So sunny and pretty out!

See the Sutter Buttes in the distance?  This is the viewing station where I impressed V by spotting the hooting owl without binoculars.

Looking for the elusive owl

zoom zoom

Cute egret with its feathers blowing in the wind

We left the Wildlife Refuge a little after 5 and went home to make dinner together.  We had shrimp, tofu and veggie kabobs that we roasted in the oven.  Definitely healthier than brunch.

Hubba hubba

V surprised me yesterday when he showed up with a latte for me around 11 o'clock.  He took a couple of days off work as a Valentine's surprise so we could go on a little getaway together.  Excited!

If you don't have any Valentine's plans, maybe this photo will cheer you up.

photo from celebdirtylaundry.com

What?  You don't like Justin Bieber?

Boring

We did our taxes last night and had a great time.

Not really.  But they are finished so now we can send a copy to immigration.  I think after they review our tax information and my medical exam results, the next step is the interview.

Anyone have any practice questions for us?

Happy Birthday to youuuuu!

Happy birthday Mum!

Mum with her Dad.  Fancy, don't you think?

Mum in the 70s, pretty and tanned in Jamaica

At home in Canada with Inuk and Kilu (really, that's her behind the snow and the warm layers)

Visiting with Petey in Sacramento

I hope you and Dad have a great day together, Mum!  Happy Birthday!

Supermarket Sweep

Anytime V comes home from the grocery store, I ask him, "Did you see anyone you know?"

Grocery shopping is not my thing so I usually rip up and down the aisles, trying to get it over with as soon as possible.  I probably look like I'm in a race while I shop and I tend to not look at people.  If you were to ask me if I saw anyone I know while grocery shopping the answer would usually be no.  It's possible that I could have seen someone I know if I'd looked up while shopping but I get too wrapped up in grocery thoughts (I mean, the cost of lettuce these days!) and trying to get out of the store as soon as possible that there is just no time for socializing.

Remember Supermarket Sweep?  That's how I shop.

Here's a funny clip from the Canadian version I watched when I was younger.  Who knew this show would have such an influence on my shopping methods?

Last week I ran in to a vegetarian friend of mine in the meat section (just kidding) and she told me about a chickpea curry she was making.  Later, when I got home I asked her for her favourite vegetarian recipe, she sent me two; one for chickpea curry and one for a vegetarian meatloaf.

I have never had meatloaf with meat (I don't get the appeal) but this vegetarian version sounded good and the recipe reviews online were all really great.  I made it last night.

Not much to look at but it tasted good! I made roasted carrots with dill as a side.

This recipe was easy and I would make it again but I would tweak the spices a bit to make it more to our tastes.  It's basically lentils, oats, onion, an egg, a bit of tomato sauce and spices.  One reviewer wrote that they'd made it in to veggie patties for burgers. I'm going to make a version of this recipe into patties and see how it turns out.  I think I might like it better with some crispy edges.  Since it's a loaf only the top part is crispy and the main loaf is a lot softer, more like a heavy spread.  Thanks again for the recipe, A!

What are your go-to vegetarian recipes?  Share!

I don't need this, I don't need this, I don't need this.

But isn't it pretty?  I already have a bright pink leather purse that I never use so I know I don't really need this Kate Spade bag.  

Also, the $448 price tag makes the do-not-need-to-have-this-purse decision easier.

This stationery set is just as pink and much more affordable and you get to share it with friends when you write them a note!