Day Trip to Socal and the Hunt for Vegan Fried Chicken

This past weekend, hubby and I took a trip down to southern Cal so I could try out some vegan chicken from Original Herbivore which is a restaurant I discovered on Instagram. While waiting for the Original Herbivore to open, we went one of our favorite vegan restaurants Veggie Grill. While at Veggie Grill, I tried their new deli sandwich while hubby had their new rueben sandwich. Both sandwiches were delicious! 

Veggie Grill Encino and sandwiches

After eating lunch at Veggie Grill, we drove to Sherman Oaks so I could try the vegan chicken at Original Herbivore. While there, we ordered a bucket of vegan chicken which came with tater tots, biscuits, coleslaw and bbq vegan wings. The vegan chicken was crunchy and wingz were moist and chewy.

Food from Original Herbivore Sherman Oaks

Yesterday there was a chicken celebration food truck event in Fresno which is not took far from where live so we decided to go since one of my favorite Fresno food truck's (Plant Slayer) was going to be there and they were going to have a special vegan fried chicken bucket with 8 piece of vegan legs and thighs. The vegan chicken was good and even better since it came with four dipping sauces" buffalo, ranch, bbq and honey mustard.

Vegan 8 piece bucket from Plant Slayer food truck

The vegan chicken I had this week was different yet enjoyable and I'm so happy that there are creative people working to find new ways to replicate food they used to enjoy before becoming vegan.

Day Trip to Morro Bay & San Luis Obispo (with Vegan Eats)

My hubby has always had a dream of being a captain of a boat and thanks to Estero Adventures in Morro Bay, hubby's dream came true. After hubby completed a training session with an Estero Adventures employee, we were ready to set sail! The boat trip included me, hubby, sister and brother in law, and their son.

Entrance to Estero Adventures

       

Hubby and nephew

Me and hubby on boat

Sister & Brother-In-Law On Boat

After our boat ride, I used the HappyCow app to locate food nearby. I quickly found Goddess Goods and promptly went there close to see what food they had to offer. While I was there, I ordered their Jolly Green Giant Smoothie which contains pineapples, mango, peaches, kale, spirulina, and fresh apple juice.

Front of Goddess Goods Restaurant

Jolly Green Giant Smoothie

After posting a photo of my drink on Instagram, I was pleasantly surprised when they gave me a donut as a thank you gift. The donut was rich, chocolate flavored, and delicious. 

Vegan donut from Goddess Goods

Once we wrapped up hanging out with the in-laws, we went down the street to San Luis Obispo for another restaurant I discovered on the HappyCow app called Ziggy's. The food was the great vegan comfort food and we'll definitely visit the restaurant again in the future.

Entrance to Ziggy's

Inside Ziggy's

                    Impossible Taquitos                                     Avocado rolls

  Mushroom Burger                                  Old 58 Burger

          

 

The New Normal vs The New Reality

It's been a while since I written on the blog so figured now's as good a time as any to restart posting. I will first start with my latest pet peeve which is the phrase "the new normal." I really dislike the phrase "the new normal" because we are not living in normal times. Currently, most of the California is on fire or suffering with effects of fire while the rest of the country is dealing with it's own unpredictable weather. The country is also still dealing with the Corona virus killing hundreds of thousands not to mention racial unrest due to the constant killing of black people.Having said all this, I am referring to this current times as "the new reality" versus "the new normal."  

On the work front, I now start my work day by taking my temperature and then checking it off a list. If anyone's temperature is 100.4, then they have to go home. In addition to this, according to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy website, our county may be able to open at 25% maximum capacity. Although my library system is still closed to the public (and has been since the last week of March,)  I can tell that changes are on the horizon since my director introduced system-wide protocols for reopening book drops as well as a curbside/pick-up service.

Although my director hasn't given staff an official date for these new processes to begin, I think she's erring on the side of caution so we won't be surprised when the county tells us to resume library services. The biggest changes with reopening the book drops and pick up service is that staff will be wearing gloves and face shield and the length of quarantining returned library items. While we'll be happy to get our items back, I already know there will be a learning curve with sanitation process but this is something that is part of our new reality. 

On the personal front, I'm slowly finishing my two reading challenges and updating the books I've read on my two reading challenge posts as well as on Instagram and Facebook.

On the workout front, I'm keeping up with my fitness by exercising on a daily basis through doing a couple of this such as a twelve week resistance band workout program from Achv Peak as well as a 28 day body shaping program from Pahla B Fitness on YouTube. Lastly, I am doing virtual run through the Rock N Roll Virtual Run Club.