Food Carts Archives - Glitter and Dust

January Challenge: Day Three

January 3, 2014 by Kristen 2 Comments

Justin and I set our alarm to go off at 6am for an early morning trip to the pool today. I always find it more difficult to drag myself out of bed during the winter months, given the cold temperatures and dark mornings, but this morning I was feeling extra motivated and awake. After a cup of coffee and quick snack, we were out the door and on our way by 6:30.

Apparently the early morning hours are a great time to swim, as the pool was calm and quiet. Throughout my swim I kept reminding myself not to go too hard because I wanted to get in a run immediately after. This was my first time transitioning from a swim to a run, so I wasn’t quite sure how my body was going to respond and how I was going to feel.

After 50 minutes in the pool, 5 minutes in the hot tub, and a quick shower, I put on my running clothes, refueled, and was out the door for my run.

I started with a long, gradual descent along the paved path above the Old Mill District, feeling fresh and revitalized from the crisp cool air.

Once I reached the Deschutes River, I headed upstream and continued along the River Trail for a few miles, eventually looping around and back up to the Athletic Club. By then my legs were just starting to feel a little sore, so it was a good time to stop.

When I got back to my car I noticed something blue on top of my steering wheel that was not there when I exited the vehicle earlier that morning. I opened the door and saw that my husband had left me a card that read, “You’re the Real Deal” – inside he had written some amazing words of encouragement. It was a perfect way to finish a workout and start my day.

After a shower and some work, I met up with Justin at The Lot (yes, we are kinda hooked on this place) and we shared a burrito from The Brown Owl and the kalua pork from Mauna Kea Grill. It was our first time trying the pork dish and it was moist and flavorful – and very filling.

This hungry girl was not ready to stop eating however, and took a trip to Cuppa Yo for a little dessert. Now I’m ready to roll over…

Time to get back to work, do some chores, and get ready for First Friday in Downtown Bend.

Have a wonderful Friday – woot woot – it’s Friday!!!

A Week of Christmas Celebrations

December 27, 2013 by Kristen 2 Comments

What a whirlwind of a Christmas week! Why does it always seem like the holidays take forever to get here, but then fly by way too fast? It has been so nice staying home and celebrating with friends and family in the area. This past week has been filled with parties, quality time, and new adventures!

Friday: I did some last minute Christmas shopping, joined my mom for a class at Barre 3, and got ready for the DVA holiday party (Justin’s company). The party was really enjoyable with great food from Zydeco, lots of laughs, and plenty of entertainment including Justin performing a “party trick” that had people laughing hysterically and a little grossed out at the same time. I won’t go into detail. ☺

After we left, Justin and I decided to swing by Club 300 and watch our friends do some karaoke. Although I do not (and will not) sing, it was pretty fantastic to watch others embarrass themselves…er, I mean perform.

Saturday: Justin and I slept in until 7:15 (yes, this is sleeping in) and then went to the gym for a little workout to start the day. This was followed by a few hours of shopping (we purchased me a swimsuit, goggles, and swim cap so that I can get my booty into the pool) and lunch at Bend’s food cart pod: The Lot. We just can’t get enough of this place. The yellow curry at Thailandia and Cuban sandwich from Real Food Street Bistro were ridiculously tasty.
That evening, Justin and I attended another Christmas party with his fly fishing buddies (AKA the Hermanos) and spouses. It was great to catch up with everyone and share in the laughter as people opened their white elephant gifts. There may or may not be a few of these gifts visible in these pictures…
Sunday: My first time at the pool. Justin gave me some pointers and off I went. We swam for about 30 minutes (on and off) and then relaxed in the hot tub. I could not believe how tired I was and how quickly the fatigue took over.

At least the only thing on our schedule for the rest of the day was football, football, and more football. The Seahawks lost, which was disappointing, but at least it will make for an exciting Week 17.

Monday: Was filled with last minute Christmas shopping and Christmas parties. It was basically a cram it all in before Christmas Eve type of day. That night, we attended a Christmas party for one of Justin’s clients, the Central Oregon Visitors Association. The party was held at the home of Chef Bette Fraser of Well Traveled Fork, who does culinary tours and cooking classes in Bend. Her home, which she uses for cooking classes and features a commercial wood burning pizza oven, was beautiful and easily accommodated the 50 or so party guests.

Tuesday: Happy Christmas Eve! Justin and I started the day with an early morning 30-minute swim and dip in the hot tub. I felt such a difference already after only two times in the pool and was much less tired when we were done.

We got cleaned up and headed to the movies for a matinee showing of Anchorman 2. Surprisingly, there was no one in the theater so we decided to goof around and document our movie going experience. Come on, who hasn’t ventured back to their childlike ways when given the opportunity?
The movie was really disappointing and I would not recommend seeing it in the theater (unless you REALLY like stupid movies). Later that afternoon we met up with my mom and stepdad for the Christmas Eve service at Westside Church and a movie to follow. The candlelit service was beautiful as always and movie #2 (American Hustle) was much better than the first. Yes, two movies in one day, that’s how we roll. Justin and I even hit up the photo booth for the first time in our relationship (and Justin’s first time ever…what a sheltered life!). Pretty impressive, eh?

Wednesday: Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to all! Our morning started with a quick coffee run and gorgeous sunrise.

After returning home, we cozied up in the living room and started opening gifts. Stocking stuffers were first – notice the running and sweet tooth theme?

Justin also got me a few of my favorite scratch-it tickets – the crossword style – so that I could win back all the money we spent on gifts. 😉

I received a few gifts from Justin and his family that will be really great for upcoming trip to Africa (only 6 more weeks!!!) including this cute safari hat, packing cubes, and safari pants. Justin got a Gro Pro camera and a number of other things (this fabulous shirt) that he can take on the trip as well. But I doubt I’ll be taking my new skate skis with me on the trip!
Once we were finished with gifts and getting ready, Justin and I headed up to Mt. Bachelor for a couple hours in the sunshine and snow. It was fun to watch the tubers coming down the mountain and we will definitely be adding this activity to our winter “to do” list.

Following our trip to the mountain, we joined my mom and stepdad for Christmas dinner and a movie. Justin cooked up a batch of his delicious chicken chili (which was a hit, of course) and we feasted next to the fire. After some time talking and exchanging gifts, we were off to see The Hobbit. I’m a big fan of these books and movies, so I really liked it – very action packed but what a cliffhanger of an ending!

Thursday: Yesterday was an activity filled day for Justin and I. We started with an early morning swim (my longest and best yet), followed by a stop at REI to purchase new sleeping bags and roll pads with Christmas gift cards from my mom and stepdad. We then headed up to the mountain for some cross country skiing!

Although the snow was not that great for XC, the weather and company could not have been better. Justin and I started at the Nordic lodge and made our way to Todd Lake along the Cascades Lakes HWY.

The highway is closed in winter but open to snowmobiles and skiers. Given the lack of recent snow, the snowmobile tracks keep the snow a little soft and easier to navigate than the icy XC ski trails to the lake.
Apparently, skiing is not the only activity people can do on the snow in bike-crazy Bend.

After a couple of hours on the skis, we made our way back to car and headed back to Bend to get ready for a going away party for our friend Tom, who is moving to San Francisco to be with his girlfriend (and our new friend) Laura. We met up with them at McMenamins , listened to some live music, and eventually said our goodbyes.

It was quite the holiday week! Now it’s time to get caught up on the day-to-day schedule and enjoy some down time. I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

The Lot = Food Cart Heaven

December 14, 2013 by Kristen 1 Comment

After a long morning and early afternoon of Christmas shopping and holiday preparations, Justin and I, along with our grumbling stomachs, headed to The Lot. It’s a fairly new (at least to us) food cart pod in Bend that has a variety of menu options, great assortment of beers on tap, and comfortable seating area for both the hot and cold months.

Parking was the easy part. Deciding upon what to eat and which cart would get our business for the day was the difficult part. There are five food carts, all of which have offerings on their menu that made our mouths water.

We basically started at one end and made our way around to the other, carefully examining each of the menu options. A place like this on an empty stomach quite possibly could be a recipe for overindulgence. 🙂

First stop was The Real Food Bistro where we were tempted by the Cubano sandwich and grilled cheese with tomato soup – can you say YUM on a cold day? Then we moved on to Thailandia, where I almost gave in and ordered the yellow curry.

Next was Mauna Kea Grill, which has some spectacular Hawaiian options that are high in protein (perfect for this carnivore girl). The Kalua pork option was at the top of my list. A few steps to the right we encountered a bright yellow cart with “The Brown Owl” plastered on the side. This menu was probably the most eclectic and we could choose from a burger, breakfast-like burrito, sandwich, and rice bowl. Justin and I looked at each other and came the realization that we might have to order two things to split. Rico’s Tacos was the last food cart, which was nostalgic as we had them pull up to our house and serve tacos to guests at our engagement party. We decided to go with The Brown Owl and order a burger and burrito to split, knowing with certainty that we would be back soon to test the others.

The chef at The Brown Owl was super friendly and gave us some “newbie” information about the pod and what to do next.

We made our way into the central dining area enclosed by the carts, I ordered a beer, and we sat down at one of the tables with heated benches. Yep, that’s right, my booty was nice and toasty throughout the entire meal! Actually, with all the heaters above, I was warm enough to shed my jacket.

After about 10 minutes we heard our name shouted from the cart and brought our food back to the table. It was FANTASTIC! The burger was tasty and had a unique flavor unlike any I have had, although it was pretty cooked and could have been a little more on the medium rare side for my liking. The burrito was a burst of flavors, filled with eggs, beans, onions, cheese, peppers, tortillas, a house made sauce, and salsa. It was to die for.

We left feeling satisfied and excited to make our way back to try something new. This place has surely become one of our new favorite spots and would be a great alternative any time the crowds get too big down the street at 10 Barrel or Brother Jon’s!

A gorgeous sky to the end the afternoon of shopping!