Out to Lunch

I've been out to lunch twice this week, which has been very nice.

On Wednesday, Dad and I took one of our trips to Nelson to shop at Save-on Foods. It was a gorgeous day, so we opted to buy some picnic stuff at the store and eat in the nearby park. We found a really nice spot...
I had a cheesy foccacia from the Save-on Bakery that was delish. It had garlic and herbs in it, too. Say what you want about grocery store bakeries, but Save-on has some really great products! I also had some fruit salad and muffin, also from the bakery.My dad had a salad and some sausage rolls, followed by some bridge mix. We had an uninvited guest, too:Did you know that crows don't like oranges or melon? Well, you do now!

Then yesterday, my SIL and I went to our favourite Rossland haunt for lunch, the Sunshine Cafe. Both of us felt the need to break away from having our "usuals" and we both opted for the special of the day, which was a BBQ chicken quesadilla. My SIL had hers with fries and I had mine with the soup of the day, which was cream of mushroom.The quesadilla, and the homemade salsa that accompanied it, was excellent. The soup was very rich, but not exactly my cup of tea. Still, the Sunshine Rocks!

101 Uses for a Roast Chicken #6: Panini Time

We make paninis at work: turkey, bacon, & provolone, and chicken, brie, and apricot salsa. Both are amazing, but my preference is the turkey one. We grill them to order on our Breville grill and I have one once a week for lunch. At home, I have access to my roommate's George Foreman grill, which is a very cool machine to have around.

It's been way too hot this summer to roast chickens, but it has cooled down recently, and whole chickens were on sale at the local overpriced grocery store this week. So I bought one, and made this sandwich.

Say what you want about grocery store bakeries, but Save-On Foods makes astonishingly great breads (the muffins aren't bad, either). After my passport clinic nuisance on Thursday, my dad took me to Nelson for lunch and for some grocery shopping. I bought a loaf of roasted garlic bread (also available in potato & rosemary, 2-olive kalamata, and another I can't remember right now) and the scent taunted me all the way on the hour's drive home! When I finally got to sink my teeth into it, it was divine. I must add also that Save-On makes one of the best ciabatta breads I've ever had. I often splurge if it's on sale, and they do a mini version, too, which is handy for the days Dad and I like to just have a picnic in the park.

Anyway, this panini. It would have been better with a milder, creamier cheese, as the cheddar didn't go well with the pesto, but as it was grilling, that scent of roasting garlic made my mouth water. This could have used some bacon, too - something a little salty to round out the other flavours. But, we live and learn, don't we? There was nothing wrong with this combination; it just could have used some tweaking.

If you don't have a panini grill or a George Foreman, no problem. Grilling this like your traditional grilled cheese would work just as well.

Enjoy!