I have another dinner from our road trip that I want to share.
I usually don’t like Mexican food, but last Thursday (I think?) night it was late when we got into Tulsa (Oklahoma) and I didn’t feel like making an effort to find a good place. We decided to go to Monterey’s Little Mexico restaurant right near the hotel. (Funny how we went to another restaurant called Monterey the night before.)
We started off with free chips and salsa (score!):
I can’t find what I ordered on the online menu, but here it is:
It was a grilled chicken breast with a side of rice and beans, plus sauteed veggies. I don’t like beans so I asked for extra veggies instead. But I kept the rice – it was delicious (I usually hate rice). I actually finished this whole plate. Bobby got this gigantic margarita:
I think he almost finished it, with a little help from me. It was pretty yummy but not very alcoholic.
I really liked Monterey’s in Tulsa – I hope they come to New York soon!
Today I had a yummy *vegan* meal from Wegmans (a grocery store in NJ and NY that I worked at in high school). Back at Cornell, Bobby and I (and others) would make midnight runs to Wegmans and buy humongous bags of sour gummy worms. We were an odd group.
I got 2 packages of a butternut squash dish (butternut squash, spinach, cranberries, and onions with a whole lot of oil and a few spices) and a veggie medley dish (zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, red peppers, green beans, and some more oil). I love Wegmans’ prepared food. I think I like it more than Whole Foods’ hot bar. I have to figure out the recipe for the butternut squash one. I don’t think it’ll be too hard.
Do you buy prepared food? Why or why not?
P.S. …I have some good news. Friends, email me if you want to hear about it!
Bobby’s face in the margarita pic is hilarious! You worked at Wegman’s?! I LOVED it there when I was at Binghamton. Omg the subs were so great. And even the Chinese food wasn’t great I loved getting it buffet style, it was so new to me! And the sushi! They even started delivering to my dining hall every day and I could buy Wegmans sushi there!
I love prepared foods. I am lazy. I almost never cook. And nothing I make tastes as good as something someone else makes.
I live like 5 minutes away from a Wegman’s 🙂 I haven’t tried their prepared food in a long time… but the last time I had it, I didn’t like it :/ Maybe with veggies it’s different? It’s kind of hard to mess up butternut squash, you know? 😉 But no, I don’t usually buy prepared food. I prefer eating my own experiments and becoming familiar with new ingredients on my own.
Bobby doesn’t look thrilled in that pic. Perhaps he really needed the margarita after all the driving! Where will you be for thanksgiving – in NJ or NY?
The whole “I hate rice” and “I don’t like beans” thing just broke my heart a little. But I still have amor for you 🙂
Looks delish.
Hey! I usually dont buy prepared food. I like to stick to food as close to its original form as possible. Oats and veggies are my fav. I will occasionally get some packaged if I have to but I try to stick with the food with the smallest amount of ingredients possible. Have a good night! Love the pics!
That Wegmans dish looks fab! I usually don’t buy prepared food, but sometimes I’ll buy a prepared garden veggie salad at my school’s market in the student union and bring my own dressing. Some days are so hectic that the convenience is worth the extra few bucks.
I am not a big fan of Mexican food neither, yet luckily, I can always pick the great one. We have ledo pizza restaurant here in maryland, which is kind of very local and traditional place. They serve a pizza called “Mexican Special pizza”. it is amazing. fresh salsa (bunch of veggies, guess u should be very happy) on the top, then cheese, then chili. then very thin crust…they are so good:-)
I adore Mexican food (it’s pretty much a prerequisite to live in Texas). Your dinner looks yummy though – sometimes those hole in the wall restaurants have the best food. (Other times, though, it’s super sketchy)
Typically, I don’t buy prepared foods. Although I indulged in some store bought vegan butternut squash soup today.
I’d love to hear your good news!
I like more authentic mexican food, basic corn tortillas, acovado, beans. Tex mex is always too heavy or spicy for me.
Unfortunately we don’t have a wegmens, but of course I love the whole foods salad bar and they also have amazing soups and bakery items. I do buy their sandwich bread but try not to get the bar food unless I have to be out since it’s priced per pound and I can easily go overboard.
I used to be obsessed with anything gummy (now I look for the brands without gelatin in them) but I actually used to make my mom get me the giant 5 lb bags of gummy bears when she went to Sam’s to her bulk shopping, haha. Kinda gross looking back :p
i buy sooooo much prepared food. more than i’d like to admit.
I love getting prepared food once in a while. It’s such a nice treat!
And I’m glad that things are going well for you! 🙂
I never buy prepared food…betwen the sodium, garlic, or my allergens, I’m outta luck. Thus, I’ve gotten real good in the kitchen 🙂
I’d like to leave a comment, but now I just want to email you!!!
I’d love to hear your good news! I have never been to Wegmans (none in NYC I don’t think) but sounds good. I buy prepared food when I am rushing around or if it’s something I wouldn’t know how to make myself. I do it less now than I used to though 😀
I just tried a prepared soup last night and I was amazed by how tasty it was! I guess I was too judgmental to most of the prepared food! 😀
I’m emailing you now! can’t wait to hear the good news (although i think I might guess what ;))
Hey Maggie – (I just made my way over here from Health Blog Helper!) I live in Rochester – Wegmans is my second home! Huge bags of sour gummy worms use to be my addiction too!
I just read your about page, what a small world that you use to live in Ithaca and that you use to be a software engineer. I quit my job as a Programmer/Analyst to stay home with my kids. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before, had to stop in and say “hi! I love Wegmans too!” 😀
i usually buy prepared food that I know I can’t replicate or too lazy to. 🙂
I have always wanted to go to Wegmans, they sound cool!
Bought some myself a prepared foods dinner from Whole Foods just last night. Yummy.
Never been to a Wegmans as we don’t have them down South. However, I have eaten my share of Mexican food, and I LOVE IT!
Bobby is cracking me up in that photo. Not sure if he’s scared or just exhausted. 😉
Oh no you just di’int say you like something better than WF’s hot bar!!!!! hahaha. I have actually have never had Wegmans but it does look quite delish!!!
Whats this good news you speak of??? I must know 🙂
~Justine
Nope, I can’t say we buy any prepared food these days … unless you count things like chicken broth! But we do enjoy eating out at least once a week, so I am sure we do get some “prepared stuff” in there 🙂
Wow, someone else who isn’t big on Mexican. The only time we ever go for Mexican is if it is a friend’s pick.
OOH! I need to hear good news! Shoot me an e-mail if you feel up to it!
As for prepared foods, I do buy Amy’s frozen organic meals, but that’s about it. Otherwise, I’m boring and just use the staples in their natural state. And I love rice, so I have to let that one go…
Oh I want to hear the good news!
I usually avoid processed foods b/c a) they have tons of crap in them and are wayyy salty and b) they more than likely have whey in them.
lol, I LOVE that pic of Bobby…He looks like he’s sulking because you made him pose! lol!
I do love Wegmann’s! I’ve only been there once…but I wanna visit again!
hahaa I always get beans, and no rice. And extra vegg. I really don’t like rice at all- I see it everywhere on the blogosphere, mostly because its vegetarian I guess?
Ah good news?! Congrats 🙂 Whatever it is. hehe
hold up hold up. BETTER than the WFs bar? watch yourself girly, those are some blasphemous words!
I am a Wegmans lover too! Here’s the recipe for that butternut squash with the craisins: https://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=348355