Zoo Date

After brunch, Elise&Erica joined me at the Detroit Zoo.

Bunnyville was going on for Easter Weekend,

so we made a food donation and joined the herd of children at the zoo.

Luckily, most of the little ones were entertained by the Bunny-themed festivities,

so we were able to enjoy the animals with a bit more peace.

First we walked through the butterfly & bird gardens in a beautiful domed building.

There must have been something in the air, cause all the animals were sleeping

and - oh my goodness - it was so adorable.

The grizzly bear was passed out on his back with his paw over his face.

The lions were spooning and the tiger had found a nice spot in the shade.

The animals that were up&about were so wonderful, too.

I forget how much they take my breath away until I find myself at a zoo again.

The zebra hung back away from the fence, but the stripes were still incredible.

The giraffe awkwardly tucked his back legs and plopped down on the ground for grass.

And the big-bodied rhinos wandered side-by-side through their area.

My knees were hurting me, so I didn't walk through the kangaroo exhibit,

but from the back side of the fence I could see the girls walking past the sleepy lil animals.

Before leaving, we got snacks - a pretzel for Elise, dip-n-dots for Erica, & cheese popcorn for me.

Then we started our journey back through Royal Oak to the car

stopping first for the skirt, shoes, & ring I'd bought and the clock Erica had found.

SaladsAllDay

.I.Love.Salads.

Salad is one of the food phases I go on the most often.

I'm very particular about my salads, though. Every bite needs to be manageable. I hate when I order a salad and the lettuce is in massive chucks or the cherry tomatoes are whole. How am I supposed to put that in my mouth, people?
Thus, I tend to most enjoy my homemade salads. I cut&break up every last vegetable and buy the smallest fatfree croutons around. Then, every bite is delicious and has a little bit of everything in it.
Perfect.

FriesAllDay

.I.Love.French.Fries.

I could eat fries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
(Of course, I'd miss eggs&candy...)
I think it's because I haven't eaten meat for so long that I got used to expecting to eat "sides" as a meal in restaurants. I love any kind of potato and french fries top the list. Any kind of french fry. My dad makes delicious homemade ones. Burger King has my favorite fastfood ones. So many restaurants have awesome steak fries that I get far too excited to eat.
My best friend gave up fries to lose weight for her wedding...
I can't even imagine.

CandyAllDay

.I.Love.Candy.

There are days that I only eat candy.
Remember my Favorite/”lovelovelove it” obsessions?
Candy is one of them – depending on the day and depending on the chew. Only certain kinds of “chewy” really do it for me. Dots, sour patch kids… that type of chew that sticks to your teeth. Gummy bears? No. No. No. It’s all about that lock-jaw feeling I get when the chewy goodness is attempting to glue the back of my mouth together. Yum.

EggsAllDay

.I.Love.Eggs.
I’m not sure who came first
– the chicken or the egg –
but, though I don’t eat chicken, I’m very happy they both exist.

My "gay exboyfriend" made me a delicious egg creation one summer morning after a late bar-night of dancing. Spiced up and lounged out on a piece of delicious whole-grain toast, we enjoyed the meal together on his front porch in AA.One hung-over morning at the Westfall house, I was gifted with a fresh pot of coffee, scrambled eggs with cheese, and toast.A friend & I went to an odd little IHop Diner in Florida. They didn't have breakfast burritos, but we convinced the cooks to build them for us anyway. Salsa, sourcream, potatoes, egg, and cheese in a shell. So good.
My grandma made me poached eggs as a healthy option one Saturday morning to enjoy with our coffee. Mushed up on some multigrain bread with some spicy seasoning was a new & delightful experience.
I recently stayed the weekend with one of my guy-friends to attend a wedding and for breakfast he made me “Eggs in a Window” – he put a hole in a piece of toast, put it in a frying pan, then cracked an egg inside the hole. A pretty delicious, all-inclusive, open-face egg treat if you ask me. Fried potatoes & ketchup were a perfect addition.
My personal favorite, though, is my very own “Egg Sammich.” I spice it up with meat & veggies depending on who I’m trying to woo at breakfast time, but in general I basically make a grilled cheese with a fried egg inside. So good.