I’m glad to see that so many are in the same boat as me! That’s one of the reasons why I love keeping up with my blog and others as well. It’s helped me realize even more how we are all human! We have more in common than what meets the eye.

My beautiful friend came over for a special dinner on Friday.

While we were talking about being a single young woman, the World Cup, and whatever random things popped into our heads…

I was cutting the vegetables.

We were taste-testers that night!

Courtesy of Foodbuzz and Buitoni! I love pasta, especially anything stuffed like ravioli, tortellini, and cannelloni. I went to the grocery store and traded my voucher in for the four cheese & spinach ravioli with tomato basil sauce. Sounds appetizing doesn’t it?

Before you knew it, dinner was served.

Ze pasta.

I bulked it up with veggies and garnished it with some fresh basil.

Yummm

The verdict? I was actually pretty satisfied with the taste! I loved the cheesiness–I could actually taste the different cheeses–and the large raviolis!. The sauce could’ve been a little thicker though and I did add some salt and pepper to it, but I tend to do that anyway. I would definitely recommend this if you like pasta and find yourself sometimes pressed for time. A warning though! It is on the pricey side, or maybe I’m just not used to buying frozen meals? When I went to Buitoni’s website I found a coupon so that helps out! One day I want to make my own stuffed pasta! And my friend was satisfied as well! She’s a pasta lover like me, and it was so much fun to partake in this taste-testing adventure together.

We made an impromptu decision to go the movies--it was starting in five minutes!

This is what happens when I ask "Mom, can you take a picture of us?" Action-shot!

We wanted to watch “Grown-Ups” but it was already sold out, so we decided on “Knight and Day”. It was actually a pretty funny movie and I realized that I hadn’t seen an action movie in a long time! Within the first action scene I couldn’t help but burst out, “WHOA!!! OH MY GOSH!” I definitely laughed out loud at some of the one-liners and cheesiness in the movie. I love feel-good movies. Who doesn’t?

When we got home from the movies we formed an ice cream brigade.

Aye aye captain, more Coconut Bliss in my life! And you know what? Everyone loved it! I’m pretty sure my mom has been mentioning it everyday. The other day we went for a nighttime stroll along the beach and as we started heading back home she mentioned that she wanted ice cream. I pointed out the ice cream shop right across the street and she said, “no I want the coconut one we had the other day!” I sadly had to break the news to her that we didn’t have anymore. I think Luna and Larry’s creation is going to be a new staple in our household.

The next day I pulled out a delicious surprise!

My dad went for his long run on the beach and stopped by the German bakery. Usually he brings back a yummy loaf of freshly baked bread or maybe some German chocolates… but that day he brought back a bag of brötchen!!! You don’t know how happy this made my family. We so dearly miss going to the bakery first thing in the morning and picking up a variety of fresh bread rolls. No bread rolls in the world can top the beloved brötchen. I don’t care what anyone says haha! We could come back from the bakery and lay out a spread of toppings for our bread. Deli slices, cheeses, butter, cream cheese, marmalades, fruits, tomato slices, herbs… the works! Just sit down at the table, grab your roll from the basket, and enjoy to your heart’s content.

Remember the curried sweet potato and tofu dish I made?

Well I made it again, and this time my parents got to try it as well. That time around it was more satisfying because someone besides myself enjoyed it as well.

Brötchen!!!

And my dad made a delicious salad to go with the meal!

With baby spinach, tiny but incredibly flavorful bell peppers, avocado, baby mango (extra sweet!), cherry tomatoes, onion, and olive oil.

Germany getting third place...

My mom ran over to get my camera to take a picture of the television hahaha! They are great team full of young players, so I hope that in four years they’ll be the best! World-Class. Then I started to think about how these top soccer players must feel. On top of the world, and like nothing can bring them down? I would! But you know what? The great thing is that I think most of us have those moments from time to time. Those moments where everything just seems right in the world, and you couldn’t care for anything else except the now. Fill in the blank: I am a world-class ___________. Let’s see… I’m a world-class always-smiling-creative extraordinaire!