Have you ever been sitting at home wanting a snack? But, you either don't feel like putting on pants or makeup or in general just seeing people? That's me, literally every Sunday.
So, when I had a flyer delivered to my apartment a few months ago promoting "Snackaholics," I was intrigued. This company delivers snacks of all sorts - ice cream, candy bars, chips, even frozen pizza rolls - right to your door. There's no major upcharge, delivery is just $1, and it's quick. I honestly don't know how they're making money on this (and no, they didn't give me anything free to write this - ugh missed opportunity).
Snackaholics is open from noon to 3 a.m. and there is a coupon code that waives the $1 delivery charge if you sign up - just type "WELCOME" in the discount box.
Anyway, I threw a couple items in my cart and paid via Paypal. I got a confirmation, then a text from my driver just a few minutes later. And, within 20 minutes of me placing my order online, I had tasty snacks at my door. The driver also noted that if I order four more times, I will get free snacks. AND, I got an extra snack in this bag because it's a special they're running all summer.
So, this cute little bag shows up - which is kinda fun. It's like a mini Christmas.
And, I got a free Cowtail. Not too bad. Here's my loot:
So, it's a pretty good deal. I'm guessing they buy in bulk and then portion it out to make money. Plus, the hot fries are a small pack for .99 cents. But, hell, if I can get ice cream delivered to me, I'm willing to pay the $6 price. And, as far as I can tell, there's no delivery minimum. Just a couple bucks to trip the delivery driver and seems like a good deal to me!
The Morgantown Farmers Market has an incredibly and diverse offering of local vendors where you can get everything from lettuce and soaps to flowers and woolie stuffed animals.
Evans Knob Farm is one of the more unique vendors at the market because they do a little bit of everything: jams & jellies, Bloody butcher cornmeal, creamy rich cow's milk soap, salad mix, kale, fresh cut herbs, head lettuces, eggs, duck, rabbit, turkey, lamb, chicken, and woolie items like scarves, mittens, handwoven rungs, handspun yarns and wool needle felted sculptures.Learn more about the farm here:
Reid and I have grown much of our own food over the past twenty years. We started out with a small garden, a few chickens and turkeys, and 3 small daughters. Over the years we have learned much, and put organic growing methods into practice. (We actually certified the farm under USDA in 2003.) This came out of the concern for our family's health. We could see the over use of antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones and chemical fertilizers. We would like to offer to you some of the same fresh bounty that we have the joy of producing.
Although we are changing our certification to Certified Naturally Grown, we are striving to go beyond what the National Organic Plan requires of us. We look at the land as an investment, and a precious gift. Reid and I are making concentrated efforts to nurture the land, building the soil, and getting the eco system within working as one terrific unit. We are seeing evidence that this is working. We see more earthworm activity, less insect pressure, and higher yields. Every year our harvests add up to thousands of pounds of veggies, picked at the peak of ripeness and delivered to our customers within hours of harvest.
We bring in very little soil amendments from outside sources. Much of our compost is made here on the farm from our diverse animal population. We do not use raw manures on plots that will be harvested within 140 days. We occasionally will use fish emulsion to do some foliar feeding when the veggies look like they need a boost. We have not used a pesticide in any form for several years. We prefer to bring in and encourage beneficial insects, birds, snakes, (yes, I encourage garden snakes, and black snakes, yikes!) and toads. We also utilize barrier methods of row covers and "Surround."
We have nearly 3 acres dedicated to vegetable production, with the remaining 127 consisting of pastures, hay meadows and woodlands. We grow much like the French do with their intensive planting. If we did not pay so much attention to the soil conditions we would not be able to accomplish what we do.I always try to help profile some of the vendors at the market and Evans Knob has been very involved, and Kathy has even served as president of the farmers market board for many years. So, they're a great, dedicated vendor.
Stop by and see them at the market, or even shop via their website or look into their CSA!
We just talked a lot about Austin, but guess what? I made another trip not too long ago over to Seattle So, I'll talk a little bit about some of the great food I got to try there.
But, first, we had to get there. Our flight had a layover in Denver, so I made a beeline for the food court area. The first thing that caught my attention? City Wok.
City Wok has some basics, so I went basic with sweet and sour chicken, as well as an order of Krab Rangoon Won Tons. These wontons were decent - not super crispy, inside was pretty average.
Same could be said for the main entree. It was just kinda neither here nor there. A little more flavor would've been nice in the sauce. But, not bad. Just pretty middle of the road. I suppose that's what's expected from airport food. But now I can say I (kinda) ate in Denver!
Grade: C
Sometimes, a classic, homestyle breakfast just hits the spot.
Mary B's Diner is Parkersburg's resident country breakfast diner. It has been credited with having great pie, being the best diner in the area, and embodying that classic diner culture. So, RL and I stopped by for breakfast while in the area.
Diners aren't as plentiful in the Mountain State as one would image. They harken back to a simpler time, so think big portions, great service and traditional foods. But, they haven't stood the test of time in the Mountain State, so I was pleased to try out Mary B's.
It's not a huge space, but the worn tables and chairs show the years of love. The menu features breakfast options like french toast, eggs, sausage gravy & biscuits, and more. That doesn't even include all the great sandwich and dessert options for lunch.
Wanting to go for a little something unique, I ordered the "Loaded Burrito," which had a flour tortilla filled with bacon, ham, sausage, scrambled eggs, green peppers, onions and cheese. I got it smother with salsa (though you can choose sausage gravy if you'd like). On the side, I got an order of hashbrowns.
This burrito is no joke. It's large and in charge - and tasty, as that. It was just packed full of everything breakfast food-related. It was so large, I was only able to eat maybe half of it. But with that salsa (and an additional side of sour cream I asked for), it was like a beautiful Mexican-inspired breakfast treat.
RL got a more traditional eggs & home fries and seemed to enjoy those as well. Overall, this is a classic diner with all the necessary fixins. If you're looking for a classic comforting meal, look no further.
Grade: A
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