Over the past few days several things have put a smile on my face…
Oh SO delicious! A sundried tomato tortilla, filled with sliced avocados and hot sauce, fried till crisp and served with a side of sea salted edamame, and raw veggies with a nut cheese pate. This was one of my favorite lunches ever!
Finding yummy new products in our commissary always makes me smile….even though I know they’ll be permanently out of stock in a week. These Yogi Chips were tasty and I could pronounce everything in the ingredient list. That’s not a must for me, because I like myself some junk food every now and again, but it is a bonus for sure!
When Polly yawns I don’t just smile, my heart melts!
My latest OBSESSION is so simple but I just can’t get enough. I eat a version of this almost every single day, sometimes twice! Rice and beans and veggies, piled into a tortilla, topped with avocados and lots of hot sauce. YUM! This time I served a vegan butter filled tortilla and a raw veggie salad on the side. Perfection.
Speaking of salads, my new favorite thing to add to the mix is lots and lots of chopped chives. I love the mild onion flavor. To me, raw red or white onions are too strong in a salad, but chives have the right amount of onion punch without being too overwhelming. Try it!
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies from Bittersweet’s brilliant new e-book Blondies and Brownies! These made everyone smile, look how insanely moist they are! These are powerful peanut buttery treats, perfectly accented with a hefty serving of chocolate. The original recipe calls for dark chocolate and white chocolate chips but since vegan white chocolate doesn’t exist here I just added more dark chocolate. Is there a better combination in the world than peanut butter and chocolate? I think not!
If you haven’t bought Bittersweet’s new e-book Blondies and Brownies, what are you waiting for? I’m slowly cooking my way through the whole thing and every recipe I’ve tried so far is just out of this world delicious.
Dozing kitties always make me smile! Twilah’s little pink nose is cute enough to cheer me up even on the bleakest of days. And look at those whiskers! Isn’t she regal? Twilah barely tolerates me, she is Cody’s cat through and through, but she lets me worship her from afar. I’m the dog’s favorite, they follow me around the house from room to room, so it is good that Cody has his own little side-kick…even if it is a persnickety cat!
A simple pasta dish topped with roasted veggies will always make me smile. Pure tasty comfort food, and just the thing after a long and tiring day. I made a quick basil, tomato, and cashew pesto coated pasta and simply piled on a mix of oven roasted broccoli, zucchini, and bell peppers. It was so great!
But out of all the things that put a smile on my face this was the absolute best.
A few days ago the cops actually found my stolen car! Sure, it was busted up and had missing license plates but they found it! It was on the side of the road in Dammam, the city right outside of our compound. No one can believe it was actually found, not even the police.
But the whole thing gets even weirder because a note of apology from the thief himself was slipped under our neighbour’s door! I guess the thief was mistaken about who actually owned the car, but our neighbour (who just got back from vacation today) brought the note over a while ago and none of us could stop smiling or laughing. Isn’t it crazy?
The note says:
“I am sorry I stole your car yesterday and I went outside Aramco and now the right arm is broken. I’m so contrite and I’m so sorry. Please forgive me I really don’t know why did I do this stupid thing. It’s a white mustang GT 1991. I am 14 years old and I don’t want to get in trouble. My name is Fadi. I wish that you forgive me. The car is in Dammam.”
(And at the bottom is a map where to find our car.)
Can you believe it!?! That note definitely put a smile on my face…although my grin would have been a lot bigger had it been accompanied by a pile of money to pay to repair all the done to the car!
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Amazing! I’m glad to hear you got your car back. Will insurance cover the damages?
omg that’s amazing. fate, my dear <3
Oh my goodness–I can’t believe that note! Insane!
holy moly lady, i’m drooling…
i may have to move to saudi and in with you and cody…haha! your food looks that delicious…
i am so happy the little thief decided to apologize, he even told you his name…i wonder if his parents told him to write the note of apology? although there was damage done, i still think it’s pretty sweet that he left a note at all!!!
thanks for your happy post, it totally put a smile on my face, and it made me hungry!!!!
<3
Wow. I LOVE the note. That’s too funny. It sucks that there was damage, but I’m SO glad you got the car back at all.
Your food looks so, so good, too.
Take care!
Sarah
whoa that is so weird about the note!!! but i agree with a lot of the things that make u happy
roasted veggies are the bomb.com & i loove when my dogs yawn- so cute!
xoxoox
wow… that’s an amazing story!! I’m so glad your car came back… that made me SMILE!!
Holy cow! That note is amazing…what are the chances?!? Someone was/is looking out for you
That is so cool! You put a smile on MY face with your story, and I am so happy you are happy again!
Courtney
How amazing that you got your car back, and that note!
Those are all things to put a smile on your face
xo
K
aww that note almost makes it worth it. almost. gorgeous food by the way!
WOW that’s amazing!!! When does that ever happen??
Such an amazing story!
Oh wow, the tomato tortilla looks amazing! Aww, Polly is adorable!
About the note, wow! That’s crazy! Glad you have the car back. My husband’s parents had a car stolen from their driveway and it was found about 100 miles away with trashed gears. Not sweet apology note though.
C-R-A-Z-Y!!! Wow…I’m glad you got the ‘mobile back…
Oh, no! I just saw a comment of yours on another blog and realized my Google Reader hasn’t been getting your posts! Not sure why–will check it out and re-subscribe.
What an incredible story about your car!! I think you need to write something about this. . . !
Glad you got the mobile back!
WOW! This is an unbelievable story.
This post is full of a lot smiling things ; )
This post made me smile!
I just don’t think I can pick one thing I loved the most about this post! First, the story is fantastic – newsworthy for sure! I think you need to deliver the boy some sense in the form of those delicious blondies. Because you’ve sent some sense right into me and I need that book!
What an amazing story! I love when people do the right thing (even if it’s a little late). Thanks for sharing!
What a sweet note! I’m so happy it was returned. Hope it doesn’t cost too much to repair.
LOVE your meals in this post. And you’re right, PB and chocolate are the best combo (yet Tom doesn’t like this combo, crazy).
Happy Wednesday x
that is perhaps the weirdest thing i have seen in a long time! i mean, it’s quite ironic and karmic? perhaps…i am just glad they found your car…wow. Tasha. How surreal that the thief wrote you a note!
onto the dessert. divine looking.
xoxo
Wow that is awesome they found your car!! Also, that pasta looks delish, I’m drooling right now!
Your food always looks so amazing! I love all the colours.
Wow, how fantastic they found your car. I am so happy for you. So it was a fourteen year old? Nice that he apologized, but like you, I would have some mixed feeling about this, with all the damage.
Remind me not to read your blog BEFORE LUNCH!!! OMG I’m sooo hungry now!!!
Really glad they found your car but the strangeness of Saudi NEVER ceases to amaze me!!! you have to have lived there to believe it!!!!!
I was going to comment on all of the other food but the moment i saw those blondies my heart just melted a little bit. I want to make some now.
SOOO glad your car is back!! I can’t believe a 14 year old would steal your car though! I mean, I know it happens but it’s just one of those things that seems like it wouldnt to you, yknow?
Amaaaaazing….
And, oh my goodness that tortilla looks fantastic- serious food envy right now!
Polly always makes me smile too
That is quite a story. I hope you can get the car back to its former condition without going into dept! What will happen to the “contrite” teen who stole it? His letter is really touching and it would be hard not to forgive him.
The food looks delicious — especially the blondies and the pasta. I think it’s it’s much too close to dinner time for me to be reading your blog!
Mmm, the blondies look like they came out perfect, nice and fudgy, just the way I like it! I really am so happy you’re enjoying those recipes.
And wow, how rare is it to actually find a stolen car! That note is beyond bizarre, but it’s good that you have it back, regardless.
Polly and twilah are adorable!
That is really nuts about the car but glad it’s back.