Day 34

February 20, 2015

Miles: 4417

Today we explore the Monterey Bay Area, sort of.  We drove down to Moss Landing to this farmer's market DQ saw on our drive in yesterday.  Turns out the farmer's market was a FANTASTIC idea!!!  They had incredible produce for ridiculously cheap prices.  And since we are in the artichoke capital of the world, of course we bought artichokes (which of course we have NO IDEA how to cook!).  But they had a flat of local strawberries for $7 and avocados 5 for $1. And Meyer lemons... I'd never seen them before but dude! I can't even.... Oh! I'll tell you about them when we get to dinner!!

So we drove on to find the local

Walmart (which we will not even discuss DQ's verbal altercation there!!), since we had to find a proper lead for the last dog.  He pulls on Grumpy and DQ when they try and walk him and frankly I don't wanna visit anymore doctors or ERs so that is stopping IMMEDIATELY!  We passed another farmers market with a food truck.  We ended up stopping on our way back and the truck is actually called The Choke Coach!! It's apparently a pretty big deal.  Tyler Furgeson, I think that's his name, has his picture on the front because he's a huge fan of their French fried chokes.  Which is COMPLETELY understandable because HOLY HELL are they phenomenal!!  I don't know how or what or anything but good God Those things are amazing!!! Please, any foodies out there, go find the Choke Coach and have the French fried artichokes!!!!! SOOO worth the trip!!!! No joke!!

I think that's the greatest snack I've ever had in my life and we all know I'm not that big of a fan of fried food, but damn if that wasn't heavenly!!!

Okay as much as I want to keep carrying on about the choke coach... I have to move on to dinner.  So after all the delicious produce we bought today, DQ and I decided to make a fire in the pit and have ourselves a little BBQ.  Now I won't lie and say every meal has been cheap.  None of them have, but all of the food we bought to make tonight's feast was practically a STEAL!  Groceries are a helluva lot cheaper out here than back home.  I'm just saying, my points before about living where there is fresh is spot on.  Right, so, beach BBQ. Greatest idea ever!!!  I spent the afternoon chopping mushrooms, onions, asparagus, Meyer lemons, sweet chilis, artichokes (a couple eating at the Choke Coach gave us some ideas on how to cook them), elephant garlic, and then red cabbage and carrots for dinner tomorrow.  I'm telling you!!! If they gave awards for most colorful dinners, we'd win every night around here!!  I put everything together in foil so we could just throw them on the grill to cook.  And HOLY HELL was that fabulous!  The steaks were cooked to perfection (and yes I did them by myself!!), the grilled onions and mushrooms were the best!  The asparagus and artichokes were amazing when cooked with the Meyer lemons!! Those lemons are smooth skinned and SOOO juicy! It was scrumptious!!!  Don't tell Grumpy but that was such a healthy meal for all of us!! There weren't many carbs at all and it was fully filling for everyone.

I did have a nice little night light as I cooked.  Take a look at our view of the bay tonight:

I think I heard that Venus and Mars are supposed to be together somewhere up there with the moon or something.  I don't know.  I just thought the dusk was too pretty not to share.

It's another cool night tonight but I smell the fire from the pit in my room and my belly is full from such a lovely spread.  I'm sure the snuggles will be warm and worth it tonight.

I miss our history together.

I love that you always find little ways to show you are thinking of me.

Goodnight!

Xx