I’m glad you all enjoyed the fun bachelorette party pictures and the Bakery on Main review! I loved reading about your memories of these crazy little shindigs that are in honor of a bride-to-be. Before I forget, I realized that in my last post I forgot to share the recipe for the red lentil burgers! So here it is: Nora’s red lentil burgers. Oops!

Ever since I’ve been back in Richmond I have been trying to use up the things in my pantry. I try to do this most of the time, but now I’m making more of a conscious effort. Why? Well, I’m graduating at the end of the semester, and one of my plans is to head back to Europe. That means I don’t want to lug so many things overseas with me. Although it seems that there are many goodies over in America that they don’t have in Europe. I know that I can make do without fancy store bought nut butters and treats. Actually, I am pretty sure I can make a lot of them on my own anyway, and I already do! That’s one of the great things about making things… whether it’s cooking, building, or what have you; most of the time you can figure another way around an “obstacle”.

So onward with Project Clean Out as Holly says! Actually, that’s not set in stone…

I typically am not a big fan of Luna bars since they taste a bit on the metallic side to me. Sure, iron is great, but I don’t want to actually taste it. However, I got a chance to try out their newest flavor through a newsletter. The new flavor? Chocolate Dipped Coconut! Did somebody say coconut? I was willing to give it a chance. It surprised me in a delicious way! Most importantly, it didn’t taste like metal. I’m pretty sure that this flavor is in stores now so if you are curious to try it, then by all means go for it! On a little side note: I thought it was interesting that they used almond butter.

Ever since I saw this bar on Megan’s blog I have been on the look out! It just sounded so good, and you know what? It is! As I was checking out of Whole Foods I saw that they had mini Vosges bars at the front, and I asked the cashier if she knew if they had the gingerbread toffee kind. She wasn’t sure, but she said that all of the cashiers have these bars at the front. My step-dad went to search for it, and he came back with it in hand! Success! Now I’m hoping that the local candy shop, For the Love of Chocolate, has a full-sized version.

Here’s Vosges‘ description: The scent of classic gingerbread spices will have you dreaming of snow dusted pine trees in no time. We begin with the same melt-in-your-mouth, burnt sugar and butter toffee and add a touch of ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, Grenadian nutmeg and Jamaican allspice to put you in a holiday frame of mind. A generous coating of dark chocolate completes the affair on your palate.

Wow, did they just describe some kind of sultry vision from a James Bond movie? No, that’s just love for chocolate.

Another sweet find, but this one came from the Indian store.

I asked someone at the store if they had a recommendation, and they said I should try these!

He told me that when he was little he would lick the filling and put the biscuits back in the box.

It seems as though everyone in the world does this with creme filled cookies.

So that's what I did, except I ate the biscuits too.

They kind of remind me of the Hit cookies, which are one of my nostalgic childhood treats.

You know… using up my pantry’s goods!

As soon as I saw Averie’s Cheezy Vegetable Bake I knew I had to make it. Now that I’m busier, any tasty recipe with leftovers is a blessing for me!

For the veggies I used sweet potatoes, yellow squash, broccoli, and mushrooms. I used cream of mushroom soup, and from my pantry came the extra addition of gluten-free brown rice macaronis! Oh and my roommate let me use her Bragg’s sprinkle seasoning. It’s really flavorful! Next time I’d like to make the bake with a chunky tomato bisque, and whatever vegetables I think would go well with it.

Like I said, leftovers are a blessing!

My dear mind-reading friend (oftentimes when I read her posts I swear she does!), Lauren, saw that I had posted about Justin’s unfortunate discontinuation of the cinnamon peanut butter. She was lucky enough to have one of these rare buggers, and kindly sent it to me along with a beautiful card. Thank you so much, dear! Ever since I’ve known Lauren I’ve felt an instant connection. When I read what she wrote to me in the card I was overjoyed with the thought of meeting her one day, and experiencing all of her kindness in person!

What was something thoughtful someone’s done for you lately? Or perhaps you’ve brightened someone’s day!