Day 16: Getting a Little Better, but Still Not Keeping Track

There's a blogger with NOLA.com who is doing the challenge, and each day he starts with:

Meals eaten: #
Vices: and lists all the vices he's eaten that day, usually beer, coffee, etc

If I started my blogs that way, I'd be screwed! But I have to remind myself of my rules back at the beginning, that my pantry counts as local because I'm not buying new non-local things and that if I'm out and about and there's food available, I'm going to eat it.

Yesterday my co-worker and I went out to Cake Cafe in the Marigny for breakfast, and though I have no idea where the ingredients came from, I shared a delicious brunch with her that included the first coffee I've drank in over a month! (Still not going back, but it was a nice treat.)

I can hope that the bread is fresh from the bakery, but the eggs, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, jalapenos and all else in this Spanish omelet? No idea. And most likely that's a California orange slice.

But it was yummy!

Now the French toast, which is challah with an orange pecan maple syrup, was also yummy but WAAAAAAY too sweet. Oh my God too sweet. If I ever get it again, I'm getting the syrup on the side.

On Thursday, I went looking for the Marketplace at Armstrong Park, another farmer's market that I'd been wanting to check out for awhile. I had a meeting at 6 and it was the last Jazz in the Park of the season, so I left work a little early to go check things out. Although I had a nice conversation with a young man and signed a petition in favor of Planned Parenthood's new clinic, I did not find any farmers, nor any produce. So I got shrimp and grits instead. The cost not only paid for some yummy dinner, but also helped to fund a sports trip for a local team. I can support that!

It doesn't look like much, but it was buttery and delicious and I had some leftover for lunch the next day. Plus, charitable food counts, right?

This one really doesn't look like much but it's a black bean burger from Liberty's Kitchen. Probably not locally sourced, but Liberty's Kitchen is a local non-profit business that EVERYBODY for catering and whatnot. And this lunch was bought for me by the Creative Alliance for New Orleans (CANO), who emailed me about two art openings last night where I met some kooky friends. I stayed out until 10:30 (which is late for me) and had the most New Orleans-esque night since moving here. Red wine, champagne, Mike's Margarita, "Philadelphia cheese" (though why they didn't have Creole Cream Cheese instead I'm not sure), Ritz crackers, gnocci, roast beef, blueberries, pineapples, both lemon and regular pound cake, chocolate chip cookies and brownies? Oh my, the food I ate! And the art, wow. I met some fabulous folks.

The best part about all this delicious food is that I'm still in the best shape of my life! WOO biking everywhere yay...

Going to make some yogurt today, yes indeed!