Aileen B.'s Profile

After a busy and exciting first day back in school (last semester in college was seven years ago!), I was hungry and unsuccessful in finding anything interesting near the college.  I decided to find something close to home, but was distracted and missed my exit.  I soon found myself near Gainey Ranch.  I spotted a new restaurant there and decided to check it out, and soon found myself in the parking lot of not where I wanted to go to, but of My Fit Foods.  From the outside, MFF looked like a GNC, or a vitamin shop.  A quick check on the Yelp app confirmed that it was a pre-packaged health food place where I might find something quick to eat.

I went in and headed straight to the refrigerated section to see what everyone else was searching through and found pre-packaged foods from floor-to-ceiling.  There were breakfast items, such as burrito wraps and oatmeal combos, as well as small to large servings of lunch and dinner options, as well as some snack items.  Since these were pre-packaged, I quickly decided I'd have to look for nutritional and ingredients' info online, or I would be taking a lot of someone's precious time investigating for food allergens.  I met Brian, who quickly kept me from leaving, and instead, told me he would help me w/ identifying which foods I would have to stay away from.  A few minutes later, we were left w/ less than two handfuls' of items to choose from-- what a friendly and upbeat guy!  (Qualities of a great salesman.)  He even invited me to take a dish home to try, gratis!  

I asked if there was a membership I could sign up for, and he said yes, I could open up a "house account," where for $500, I would save 5% on purchases, whereby giving me $525 to spend however I choose, whenever I choose.  I could walk in and choose the items I wanted, or I could place the order online or by phone, and then come in whenever it's convenient for me (during business hours, that is) to pick up my order.  If I only didn't have so many food allergies to contend with, I think the products here are a convenient way to ensure I eat healthily, following a low-carb 40/40/20 diet, and lose weight, if I choose to.  I must admit that while the tofu, spinach, salsa, and quinoa-stuffed yellow bell pepper meal I tried was bland at the start, after adding a little bit of salt, it was actually quite delicious, and very satisfying!  Thank you for the inspiration on how to prepare a new dish, Brian!  

While I may not become a regular customer, I would definitely recommend My Fit Foods to anyone I know who would like to be able to eat healthier and lose weight, and who would not want to, or could not, prepare every meal they eat themselves.  These pre-packaged foods are perfect to take w/ you to work.  Just heat, and eat!  

A quick note: There is a nutritionist on-staff, who you may speak with if you have any other concerns that a regular staffer may not be able to address, although Brian was very thorough.  I'm not sure, but I would think that getting a more-personalized menu might be possible.  I'll have to inquire more the next time I stop by to confirm this!

01/04/2012

I thank Yelp and ATC for giving me the great opportunity to experience a terrific performance of "Daddy Long Legs," ATC's first musical production, at The Herberger Theater tonight!  The two-actor (Megan McGinnis and Robert Adelman Hancock) musical, plus the invisible, but great assets, the orchestra and sound crew, entertained and amazed me w/ their execution of a well-written body of work.  It had comedy, romance, deception, and sorrow, to name a few... what's not to like?  Truly enjoyed McGinnis' impeccable timing, as well.  It is sad that many people pass up the opportunity to watch live theater due to the higher ticket fees, and I cannot fault them-- what's easier to bear: $37 per person plus $3 parking fee, which you may buy at the box office prior to attending the show, or $10 and free parking at the movies (well, at least when you're NOT catching one in downtown PHX)?  However, when you do decide to place the financial investment, you will almost always be rewarded w/ a highly-memorable night, believe you me!  

I had a wonderful time, and I would definitely recommend "Daddy Long Legs" to anyone who enjoys great acting and music!  (Much thanks to McGinnis and Hancock for their lovely harmonies-- I cherished them!)

Since late November, I've already attended seven one-hour sessions at Floo-id, and I absolutely love this place!  [I've just booked another session for tomorrow (TH) morning.]  I started w/ two Saturdays of Hot Yoga w/ owner Beth Beary, but I soon branched out and added a second weekly session of Hot Flow, which isn't as hot as Hot Yoga, but is more physically-challenging.  (Well, at least to me it is!)  I thought perhaps I could stretch out my Groupon deal by cutting out HY and just sticking to HF, but no...  After only one week of experimentation, my body is telling me that it NEEDS the two differing yoga sessions to feel at peace!  I'm hoping to get a chance to try other classes offered here as soon as my schedule allows.

The facility is clean and organized, and I've so far worked w/ four instructors, and they're all terrific w/ keeping me motivated and pushing the class to put in the extra effort, to ask more out of our bodies and minds.  In less than a month of attending yoga classes here, I found myself inspired again to go back to school!  (I hope to delve into microbiology and lab in a couple of weeks.)

I was asked to move my original review to a listing for Arizona Theatre Company  instead (which I have), but I thought that my review here is also significant, for the Herberger Theatre was a great venue to showcase the phenomenal production.  The lighting was fantastic-- the subtleties were not lost on me as the scenes progressed from comedic to utter sadness, and I could almost FEEL the sunshine coming through the large windows whenever scenes from Lock Willow played out, and the cold winter air surrounding Jerusha's dorm that winter as she wrote to her "Daddy."  The ushers were very friendly and eager to help those who needed it, the cookies looked wonderful by the bar, and the women's restroom was tidy.

Now, if we could only get HT to emphasize in many places that it offers $3 parking validation...  
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I thank Yelp and ATC for giving me the great opportunity to experience a terrific performance of "Daddy Long Legs," ATC's first musical production at The Herberger Theater tonight!  The two-actor (Megan McGinnis and Robert Adelman Hancock) musical, plus the invisible, but great assets, the orchestra and sound crew, entertained and amazed me w/ their execution of a well-written body of work.  It had comedy, romance, deception, and sorrow, to name a few... what's not to like?  Truly enjoyed McGinnis' impeccable timing, as well.  It is sad that many people pass up the opportunity to watch live theater due to the higher ticket fees, and I cannot fault them-- what's easier to bear: $37 per person plus $3 parking fee, which you may buy at the box office prior to attending the show, or $10 and free parking at the movies (well, at least when you're NOT catching one in downtown PHX)?  However, when you do decide to place the financial investment, you will almost always be rewarded w/ a highly-memorable night, believe you me!  

I had a wonderful time, and I would definitely recommend "Daddy Long Legs" to anyone who enjoys great acting and music!  (Much thanks to McGinnis and Hancock for their lovely harmonies-- I cherished them!)

Father and stepmother brought me here tonight after picking me up from the airport (Reagan National)- very close.  I knew we were going for Korean, but I didn't know it was a buffet, and what a cool buffet it was!  So many hot items to choose from, as well as side items [different kinds of kimchi, pickled lotus, steamed watercress (so good!), wakame salad (seaweed), and many more], soup station, and dessert bar.  I also spied a bulgogi station, where you may select different cuts of meat (as well as prawns), veggies, and sauces of varying intensities of spiciness, which will then be cooked at the table by various staff members.  (I was wondering why customers here weren't doing the cooking for themselves, as I've read from other Korean BBQ restaurants' reviews...  I thought I had chosen well during my first run to the buffet, until I saw the sushi platter my stepmom had made...

Everything tasted great!  My favorites were the Red curry chicken (Thai), the Sweet and sour chicken (Chinese- loved the crispy batter), candied plantains, and watercress.  And, of course, the bulgogi.  I was trying to avoid rice tonight, and thought I found some crab and spicy salmon wrapped in seaweed only, but came to find out that the rice was on the bottom...  They were OK, nothing fantastic.  There were quite a few nigiri pieces, as well, and these looked MUCH better than the sushi I had, but I wasn't feeling like having much rice tonight...

Friendly service, although I did get the feeling that many of the staff, both behind the food stations and those servers and cooks that visited from time to time, didn't know much English-- made it hard for me to ask for specific details...  Don't forget to save some room for dessert!  There were many slices of frosted cakes and a rainbow of jello cubes, but I decided to try a peanut-almond cookie.  Sweet, but not too much, and I liked the soft crunch as I bit into it.  A few of these would've gone perfectly with a cup of coffee, but I still had some green tea left from dinner, and it complemented the cookie nicely.  Fresh fruits, such as pineapple, oranges, honeydew, and grapes (careful, these were seeded) were also available.  

$28.99 per adult, but senior citizens (ages 65 and up) get 30% off!  I wouldn't mind coming back again before heading back home to AZ.  :))

(Pardon the lack of photos-- my cell's battery didn't have enough juice to power the camera.  Three flights and connections in ten hours will do that...)

I've been to Aldi stores before, back when I used to live in IL, so I was familiar w/ the layout.  If you've never been, it's like a miniature Sam's Club, but with generic-brand products and no membership fees.  

If you need a cart, you may pick one up at the side of the store by depositing a quarter, which you may then retrieve by returning the cart when you're done w/ it.  There usually is just enough room for two small-sized people walking side-by-side pushing carts one-way, so just keep this in mind as you go through the store and its mazes.  Just because most, if not all of the brands here are generic, it doesn't mean that Aldi doesn't sell quality stuff!  I was pleasantly surprised to find ORGANIC turkeys sold here the day before Thanksgiving.  Too bad all of them were about 12 pounds or larger, or else we'd have bought one to try, and I'd have one more thing to review here...

The reason I wanted to post something about my Aldi visit was to say that chocolate lovers must, if you haven't already, try a few of the European chocolates sold here!  You may find them among one of the first crates to your left as you enter the store and proceed forward.  Two brands we tried were Choceur [dark choc, milk choc, and milk choc w/ almonds (those w/ a hazelnut allergy would best stay away from the almond bar-- it contains hazelnut paste)] and Moser Roth (chili dark choc).  While the Choceur milk chocolate and almond bar was delicious (not too sweet!), I did feel the room spin as soon as I had a bite (I'm able to eat toasted hazelnuts w/out problems, but hazelnut spreads and chocolate-covered hazelnuts do cause allergy symptoms).  I'm savoring a few pieces of the dark chocolate variety as I type this... Mmm, and it's so melt-in-your-mouth creamy-dreamy!  If you're a bit daring when it comes to mixing chocolate and peppers, then you may like Moser Roth's Chili bar.  I didn't find it as spicy as my baby sis did, but then again, she doesn't really like spicy dishes (she orders a "1" when at a Thai restaurant that serves dishes ranging a mild 1 to an inferno 5), but the flavors harkened to the times when I tried Mexican hot cocoa and churros made w/ Ibarra chocolate....

My older sister's MIL LOVES the brownie mixes here!  I can't review it, as it contains corn products; However, the aromas that wafted throughout the house while it baked sure smelled delightful!  (The beautiful cracked surface of the brownies also teased me until I finally had to turn away before I gave in.  LOL)

11/25/11

After checking out a movie at AMC and a bit of shopping at Northlake, the rest of the family wanted to grab a bite.  On our way to Friday's, a nephew mentioned Steak 'n Shake, which went over well w/ the adults, since it was cheaper than the original choice of Friday's, and me, since I felt like having something sweet!  The wait was moderate, but it was Black Friday, after all...

Manager asked if we minded getting two tables pulled together, and we said "no problem."  We ended up sitting in two booths, across a foot path and adjacent from each other...  Two of the children ordered a steak burger and chicken fingers, both w/ fries.  Mom had a cup of chili w/ onions and cheese, and I ordered a strawberry milkshake to share.  Kids enjoyed their meals, Mom thought the chili http://www.yelp.com/bi... was mediocre ("the chili at the Sam Adams bar in that airport was much better!"), and I thought that the milkshake http://www.yelp.com/bi... was too sweet.  We stopped halfway, and I decided I'd order my original choice of Hershey Special Dark.  This was much better-- not very sweet!  Nice that this also came w/ a few chocolate chips sprinkled on top...
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Had to remind our server of the kids' forgotten mini-shakes.  An order of onion fries arrived that no one ordered-- very cool of the manager to offer it to us, anyway!  (That's how it should be, btw... rather than serving up soggy fries to the intended guest or throwing them away.)  Seems like everyone deemed the meal satisfactory.

Maybe next time I can check out other menu items...

Clean and bright, and within walking distance (1.5 miles one-way).  I like that I can find whole wheat pita pockets here, as well as the occasional bunch of organic bananas.  I also found Horizon-brand organic egg nog in the milk/egg section!  (Not as good as Clover-brand, but it'll do in a pinch.)

Even though there weren't many customers in the grocery store at the time of my last visit, it was nice to see more than two register lanes were open (I thought I saw three w/ lights on),  as well as six self-scanning stations available.  

One of these days I'm going to have to check out sushi at neighbor Tanaka...

11/25/11

Decided to grab a quick bite to eat while the rest of the family went shopping, so I popped over to the food court to see what I could find.  Among the national food chains, such as Chick Fil-A, The Great Steak & Potato Co., Sbarro, Orange Julius, and Subway, I spotted Showmars and recalled reading a few good reviews on it, so I made a beeline and checked out the menu, which proved to be quite extensive: gyros, souvlakis, burgers, pita burgers, seafood platters, including fried flounder, hot dogs, and even baklava by the silce ($1.99, fyi)!  Service seemed very friendly and eager to help.  

After a few minutes and a few questions, I decided to go w/ an Old-fashion Jr. pita burger (chili, cheese, coleslaw, onions, and mustard), hold the mustard, and a side of fries, for a grand total of $6.  (FYI, Jr. burgers feature one patty, regular has two.)  Combo plates were available, but I didn't want anything from the soda fountain.  Paid for the meal and was given a receipt and a buzzer.  Thought I'd check out the buffet spread at Maki of Japan (right across from Showmars) in the meantime, but I hadn't even crossed the path of chairs and tables to get to the other side of the room when my buzzer started to vibrate-- that was fast!  

My platter looked very nice, but I lamented that my pita burger lacked surface veggies, not even lettuce (!), and the manager told me that only the original burgers had lettuce and tomato.  However, he offered to add lettuce for me- very nice!  I enjoyed the chili-burger-coleslaw combo; however, I did find the whole sandwich a bit sweeter than I'd prefer-- most likely from the sugar in the coleslaw.  Also, I would've eaten more of the pita had it been crisped/toasted.  No matter, as eating less of the pita allowed me to enjoy more of the crinkle-cut fries- the best part of the entire meal!  Those who like saltier fries may want to grab a salt packet or two, as my fries were a bit under-salted, even for my taste.

Was happy to find something local in this mall's food court, and I wouldn't mind coming back to try other items on the menu!

11/25/11

Saw "Arthur Christmas" w/ the family today (great animation, funny, and very entertaining!).  Really liked the space of the room: multi-tiered, nice leg room, movable arm rests.  

A few tips:

1. For those who like to order fountain drinks, the concession stands offer free refills when you purchase large-sized cups.

2. All shows before 3:55p are $5 per child and $7.50 for adults and seniors.

3. Just for the holidays, every $25 gift card purchase earns you a $5 gift card reward.