Sunday, April 25, 2010

Trip to The Pantry, Dressing Up, Bowls of Veggies = Great Weekend!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad!!!! 

Today is his birthday and since my Dad is just about the best man I know, (and loves to make it on the blog) I couldn't forget to start off my post with that little shout out.  Love you Dad!

So, when I left you last, I promised you that Toly and I had plans for breakfast at only the very best place  on this earth to eat breakfast….

!!!!The Hershey Pantry!!!!

If you are ever in Hershey, PA, you must visit this amazing little restaurant (especially for breakfast).  It's incredible!  

Now, every time I make my way to The Pantry, I'm pretty dead set on what I will order.  The Baked Oatmeal is one of the best things I have ever eaten and if I were to tell you my last meal, it would be the baked oatmeal.  Every Saturday, they feature a "special" baked oatmeal which is basically their original baked oatmeal (which is amazing on its own) injected with decadent flavors of fruits, cremes, or other spectacular ingredients. 

I thought I was all set, until I saw their Special Board when we first walked in…...



This was one of the hardest decisions of my life.  I went back and forth so many times, but I remembered the last visit I had here, my dad ordered the Cherry and Creme Baked Oatmeal and it was delicious but very very rich.  It was more like a huge piece of cherry pie.  Amazing, yes, but I could only handle a few bites and I was hungry and wanted some more substantial. 

Pancakes it was!  Not just any pancakes….Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes topped with Strawberries and Creme.  (I also asked if they could add banana to mine)



Oh my holy goodness!!!!!  These rocked my face off.  Yes, the pancakes are humungous too!  They overlap the large serving sized plates.  I think I managed to polish off 1 1/2 of this and gave the rest to Toly. 

He ordered an Bacon Egg and Cheese Sammie on Pretzel Bread with Home fries and anticipated eating 1/2 of my order as well.  (or else he would usually order a pancake too) 

I would live in this place if I could.  Nothing makes me happier on the weekends than a trip to the Pantry. 



We spent the rest of the morning running errands and shopping.  

When we got home later in the day, I made us a light but incredible lunch.  

I was craving veggies…partially, a sweet potato. 

Slow Roasted Method = AH-Ma-Zing! (With EVOO, Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, and Chili Powder)



A side salad (so many great things in there) and some fruit. 



This was perfect and hit the spot.  Even though I was still a little full from breakfast, I wanted to eat something because I was planning on running, and we had a late dinner planned. 

Speaking of running, I worked on my speed yesterday.  It's been awhile since I've been able to do a speed run (because of the knee) but it's been feeling good lately, so I gave it a try.  I ended up finishing a 5K in 25:28.  Not too shabby.  I even forgot to ware my brace and the knee felt absolutely fine.  I think the rolling on the IT band is really helping. 

That night, Toly and I got all dressed up to go to a Gala function that I was asked to attend for work at a fancy hotel downtown. 


I love this new dress because it's classy and super professional looking and IT ACTUALLY FITS!  I feel like a grown up woman when I wear it.  Usually, I feel silly when I have to get all dressed up because dresses tend to make me look silly (no curves, no bumps, no lumps does not pair well in classy dresses). 

This morning, I wasn't really hungry for a big Sunday breakfast (probably because of yesterday's feast) so I opted for some cereal and yogurt with a diced pear. 



I had the usual Sunday (shopping, cleaning…ect.).  We also went to a few open houses (we've been looking at buying a house, not seriously, just dabbling the market in hopes to find something this year) and visited Jen and Brian. 

I did find a second to make an awesome salad for lunch. 

Arugula and Kale, Beets, Cucumber, Radish, Avocado, Tomatoes, Mango, TJ's Masala Burger, Peas, Mango Chutney, Hummus, Peanuts


For dinner, I made one of my favorite things….a big bowl of veggies and tomato sauce. 

Sounds boring, but just wait until you see this…..

First, it started with spinach (as most of my bowl meals do) and then I layered TJ's Artichoke and Spinach Ravioli with a dab of Basil Pesto. 



Topped with a slew of roasted balsamic veggies (zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli) drenched in TJ's Rustica Sauce (my favorite). Melted goat cheese, capers and olives were also added for amazing flavor. 


So so so good!  I love making this at home because when I go to a restaurant and order a Veggie Pasta dish, it's usually 95% pasta, and 5% veggies.  Pathetic.  I prefer the opposite.

Toly's meal was Cheese Ravioli with Sausage and Peas.





Stormy night dinner by candle light. 


















It was a great weekend, despite the crummy weather.

Busy busy week once again, but that is what makes life enjoyable! :)

Until tomorrow….

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11 comments:

  1. soooooooo many great eats. I know how much you love that breakfast place- what a great treat. The pancakes look unbelievable. How awesome is breakfast/brunch out? You look ADORABLE in that dress. I love it. And you are making me crave some sweet potatoes. Good thing I have one on tap for tomorrow night :) Enjoy the rest of your Sunday

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  2. First of all, I love that dress! You look fabulous!

    Second, I went to Lebanon Valley College, which is about 15 minutes from Hershey, so I can second your love of the Hershey Pantry! It can't be beat! :)

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  3. A huge bowl of veggies with marinara is my fav comfort food supper, too!

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  4. What slow roasted method do you use for your sweet potatoes??? I love them so!

    Is your dress from Express pretty girl? I have it too- hehe!

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  5. i wish i had known about that place when i visited hershey years and years ago! the pretzel bun looks amazing - those pennsylvania dutch know what they're doing!

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  6. Happy Birthday to your dad!! I go to Hershey occasionally for Hershey Park, I'll have to remember to stop on the way and try the Hershey Pantry sometime, because those pancakes look AWESOME! You look so gorgeous in that dress, it's hard for me to find dresses that fit as well, so when I do I feel great in them too :) Hope you have a good Monday love!!

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  7. Happy Birthday to your dad! Those pancakes look amazing! The rest of your meals look fab as well, I am loving all the colors they had going on.

    Looking at houses is one of my fave things ever. Seriously! I love house hunting!

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  8. Whoa, that would have been a really hard decision for me to make, too! Glad you and your daddy shared... my dad and I usually do that too. Happy birthday to him!

    I LOVE that dress. You look great! Hooray for grown-up clothes.

    Great pasta salad. I always forget that I can do that and have the best of both worlds.

    Hope you're having a great day!

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  9. awe, happy bday to your pops! he seems like SUCH a great guy from what you write about him here. those pancakes look delicious, i think you made the right decision, albeit the hardest one of your life! you look rockin in that dress, mama! xoxo

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  10. Happy Birthday to your dad!

    Ok, that dress is stunning. You totally rock it. Wow.

    So many good eats in this post. I MUST visit the pantry one day. The photos are truly mouth-watering.

    Love you lady!

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  11. Thanks for the Birthday shout out!!! I really do love making the blog! The only thing missing on my birthday was that I missed my ride to Hershey Pantry. Oh well, maybe next time.

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