Sunday, June 22, 2008

A Good Date

Abram and I went a the best date night last night.  

Part 1

We started at Prickly Pear, one of my favorite places to eat in Ann Arbor.  It's a funky little southwestern restaurant with covered outdoor seating in the garden in the back.  My favorite items on the menu are:
  • pesto pizza (navajo fry bread topped with pesto, tomatoes, chicken and cheese)
  • pecan chicken salad
  • chicken sope (a chicken dish with this ridiculously good pumpkin sauce)
  • spinach and cheese or sweet potato enchiladas
  • fajitas
Let me just say one thing about the fajitas.  There is nothing, I repeat, nothing I hate more than ordering fajitas and when they come out they're not sizzling.  Send them back!  I am not interested in fajitas that don't sizzle.  

At Prickly Pear, they always sizzle. 

Oh, and apparently they have the best margaritas in town.  If you're interested.  

Part 2

I never remember to use my retail gift cards or store credit.  So I have a stack that I carry around with me everywhere, just in case by some miracle I remember to use them the next time I'm at the store.  

So Abram and I went through the cards and chose the ones that we could use at the mall (which happened to be Sears, J Crew and Williams Sonoma).  After dinner we headed over to Briarwood and set out to spend the money.  Not on anything that we need.  Just pure, irresponsible spending.  Here's what we came home with:
  • Sears: 3 bags of wood chips for our smoker and a new grill brush/cleaner thingy.  
  • J Crew: a small wallet keychain for me.  Just big enough to fit my license, my credit card, and a little cash. 
  • Williams Sonoma: a set of happy red mixing bowls, The New Steak cookbook, and a pie crust mix
Part 3

There's a new Borders down the street from our house.  So we spent an hour browsing. 

Doesn't that sound like fun?  Well it was.  All of you should move to Ann Arbor so you can live by such fun people like us.  

Did I mention my blog will slowly be evolving into a series of persuasive posts on why to move to Ann Arbor?  Economy shmeconomy. 

 


13 comments:

Lisa said...

Wow, you have been busy blogging! I especially think that spending the gift cards sounds fun. : )

KA said...

I love those WS mixing bowls. Mine are green though.

Anonymous said...

Funny. Our dates sound very similar except we would eat at Palio or Casey's and head to Home Depot/Lowe's and then onto Borders.
Dontcha luv AA?!

Tara said...

I love irresponsible spending...and by the way. I just noticed that you know kate and chris? Weird, Kate was one of my best friends growing up. This world is too small. on second thought, maybe it's just right.

Kristin Mulrooney said...

It sounds like a splendid evening!

On another note, I have been meaning to comment for a while about this. You ned to update the main page family picture to include beautiful Aviva!

EFN Newsletter said...

Tara, I actually did make the Wilson/Mitchell connection when Mary first told me they were from Alamo. I can't believe I forgot to tell you. There's something about you Northern Californians I just can't get enough of.

And Kristen, this has been brought to my attention by several people, but what we have this terrible problem of taking HORRIBLE family pictures. I can't bring myself to post one as a main feature on my blog.

Okay, okay, I'll work on it again. Maybe this Sunday...

xóchitl said...

i LOVE your date! brian and i like to go to toys-r-us and play around. but since i kicked his butt with those fake HULK fists and those foamy jousting things, we haven't been back. we'll have to pick more neutral ground, like WS or Borders.

sterlingandbrandi said...

Wasn't your favorite dish at the Prickly Pear butternut squash soup? I feel kind of confident on that point, but no mention in the blog? Am I wrong, or are you just used to it? (Why on earth do I remember the best places to eat in Ann Arbor and what to get there?)

EFN Newsletter said...

Ah yes, the butternut squash soup. Here's the deal. I have this insane recipe that I make now, so when I went back, it was still really good, but it didn't pack quite the same punch for me. I know, sad, but they do put a huge dollop of pine nut butter in it so I will continue to order it anyway.

And you remember these things because you should be living here next door to me.

Whit said...

I love gift cards, and I do miss being around such fantastic people like you... I will try to talk Spencer into moving back. Do you think he will go for it?!?

Whit said...

Hey I live in Alamo! Well... 5-10 min. away, does that count?

EFN Newsletter said...

Whit, See what I mean? I'm just drawn to you people :) Do you know the Mitchells or the Wilsons? What town do you live in?

Whit said...

Is it strange that we are "talking" via blog and not email? I am in San Ramon, the next town over from Danville... which is the town next to Alamo. So teo towns over and here I am. I honestly am about 10 min from Alamo. It is beautiful here... and no I don't think that I know those families. I am not good "stake" wise yet, just ward -wise.