Spice Update Sale and Salad Love {Eats}

Our local Savory Spice Shop is featuring a great deal through the end of March. Bring in a competitor’s bottle and get $1 off a new SSS bottle full of fresh herbs or spices.

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I knew quickly that I wanted to cash in on this offer. So, I gathered the bottles that were empty (or mostly empty) or contained old/expired spices. The chili powder was pretty full, but it had some sort of questionable additive (that I’m too lazy to google/research), so I decided to replace it, too.

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Turns out, I didn’t have to replace the old bottles with the exact same spice.

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So, I ended up having a pretty good time picking new spice goodies to bring back home.

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I got a couple spice basics, plus a new blend. You guys know how much I love my spice blends.

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Goodbye old bottles. May you be recycled well.

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Hello, savings! I got $32.27 worth of spices, minus $8.00 for my 8 bottles, for only $24.76.

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Here are my new spices: Yellow mustard powder, Berebere Ethiopian style seasoning (I’ve been using this one a lot for breakfast), medium chili powder, turmeric, Hungarian sweet paprika, toasted white sesame seeds, hot smoked paprika, Mt. Eolus Greek style seasoning.

Given how fast I went through most of these before, I got regular sized bottles for all but the ground mustard. Woohoo! And yes, I’m excited about new spices. It’s the little things. 😉

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I took a pit stop for lunch while I was in the area at Luna’s Living Kitchen. This is one of my favorite restaurants in town, despite the fact that I’m not vegan or a raw foods enthusiast. I just love the delicious, healthful, and beautiful food. Plus, the place has really great, positive energy.

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I found a nice sunny spot next to the window and spent some QT with my Fire Starter Sessions book. I know I’m going through the book at a snail’s pace, but I’m really trying to take my time and digest the various sections.

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Since I opted for a salad for my main dish, and I’m a bit of a carb-aholic, I ordered a side of the cranberry walnut bread. It’s just so good – lightly sweet with chewy pieces of dried cranberries. You can get it with a side of homemade nut butter, but I like it straight up. It comes out warm and lightly toasted.

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I almost always get the quinoa burger at Luna’s, but I decided to try something new – Kale Cornucopia. “Zesty orange-marinated kale, garnished with teriyaki almonds. Served with cauliflower rice and a local green salad”.

I love the side salad with the simple hemp dressing, so this was like having the best of both worlds since I got the kale salad, too. I really enjoyed the light flavors of the dish overall. The orange marinade gave the kale a bright, spring-inspired taste that I’m looking forward to enjoying again very soon.

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I wasn’t sure what I’d think of the cauliflower rice, but it was great, too. The flavors of this one were very light, but I thought it went well with the other flavors in the overall plate and had a refreshing bite to it.

And now, after looking at all that beautiful plant-based food, I really want a salad. Too bad Luna’s isn’t closer to my office! Or, maybe that’s a good thing…for my wallet, at least.

I do feel like I’ve fallen off the healthy-eating wagon a bit. I’m only a couple months out of Eat in Month, and I’m already eating out fairly often. But regardless of whether I’m eating in or out, what’s bothering me is that I feel like I’m not eating enough fruits and vegetables. Time for another Project Veg-Up? But, seriously, I am trying to make a more concerted effort to get more fruits and vegetables into my day.

For the last several months, I’ve switched my pre-workout snack from a Larabar to just an apple. The change has been great. I really feel like the apple helps give me an energy boost before I teach (or take) Zumba class, and I even feel healthier and better, overall. Plus, even though I think Larabars are pretty close to clean eats and do contain a fruit serving, the apple definitely is a 100% clean eats choice. I’ve even gotten into having one apple on days I don’t work out. So, there’s one fruit serving. Now, if I could just get more fruit incorporated into breakfast. And more vegetables incorporated, in general. I’m hoping to prepare more eats at home like the ones I enjoy at Luna’s. And, I’d like to come up with more fruit and vegetable based recipes to enjoy and to share with you guys!

*Local readers – there are still a few more days to update your spice cabinet and save. Head to the Savory Spice Shop in Southend with your old bottles!*

Reader question: How do you keep fruits and vegetables in your daily eats?

4 thoughts on “Spice Update Sale and Salad Love {Eats}”

  1. You should do a vegan week or month challenge. The hubs and I are doing that right now, and it’s a great way to get back into the habit of eating tons of veggies. When the month is over, we’re planning on incorporating lots of our vegan month dishes with old meat/cheese faves.

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  2. Lol, yeah a whole month without cheese is challenging (and there’s been a couple cheats), but I think we’ve both been surprised at how easy it’s been. But I won’t lie, there’s a countdown to April 1, which will be cheese/sushi day!

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