Luvo Vegetable Bibimbap frozen entree

12/31/2015

I won a month of free food from Luvo Inc., including a variety of frozen entrees and burritos. As a sort-of "thank you", I thought I'd review and share each meal I try!

Two boxes of food delivered yesterday meant a freezer full of choices today. I picked the Vegetable Bibimbap to try first.

This gluten-free box is loaded with brown jasmine rice and a half cup of vegetables, including chopped zucchini and carrots. The box warns that it "packs some heat" too. I microwaved for 6.5 minutes at home because I was too hungry (and impatient) to cook for 30 minutes in my oven. I'm glad I followed the instructions to place the pouch on a microwave-safe plate because a little juice leaked out of the steam-filled bag while it cooked. Oh, and did it smell good!

I poured the contents into a bowl and dove in with my fork. First bite had me surprised by the flavors! It does have heat - and I LOVE spicy food! Also, the zucchini pieces really did what they box promised: they were "steamed to perfection"; not mushy at all, and very full of flavor! Bamboo shoots and carrots also gave nice texture to the meal. Other vegetables and seasoning include: shitake mushrooms, Napa Valley cabbage kimchi, green onion, kale, chili peppers and garlic.

The meal was light and low-calorie. Only 270 calories, 10 grams of fat, 460 mg of sodium, 39g carbs, and 6g protein. I don't really calorie count, so I have to instead say that I just felt good after eating it. About halfway through eating I added a splash of white vinegar, which also tasted good mixed with the other flavors. There are no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. Only 4g of added sugar, and non-GMO soy and oils.

I was really impressed with my first selection. I went running (2.75 miles) not long after eating and didn't feel too full or weighted down. It wasn't greasy and it tasty fresh. Vegetable Bibimbap would probably be too spicy for my husband to enjoy (he does NOT like spicy!) but it was terrific for me. It was the right amount of food for my afternoon, and it was delicious. Can't wait to try more!

Brickyard Bar & Grill, Baldini's Casino, Reno, NV

9/7/15 - Brickyard Bar & Grill, inside Baldini's Casino, Reno, NV

My group of 3 ended up at Baldini's on the night of Sept. 5th after an online reservation gone-wrong left us with no place to stay, except the welcoming parking lot outside this casino, that is RV friendly. It was about 2 am by the time we arrived and I needed some food while my husband and friend gambled a little bit.
I found Kay working inside the Brickyard Bar & Grill and she happily recommended the Chicken Tortilla soup. It was served in a Styrofoam soup bowl which is not very earth-friendly, but everything aside from that was awesome. I ended up having 2 cups and adding some crunchy croutons on top. The table where I ate was clean and after I finished and bussed my Styrofoam, I told her how much I liked the soup (as if going back for seconds hadn't said it all.)

The soup hit the spot that night and warmed me up before bed. After sleeping in our van (towing a packed to the brim trailer), we woke up and hoped for some coffee but found the bar and grill is more of a lunch/dinner place and doesn't have a breakfast menu. Too bad for us.

Save Mart Supermarket, Reno, NV

9/13/15 -
Save Mart Supermarket, Reno, NV
4995 Kietzke Ln
Reno, NV 89509

This was one of the last stops we made on our way to Black Rock City, NV. We ran inside to grab some postcards to send to ourselves at Burning Man, but only found a card aisle instead. We ended up buying several birthday cards and tearing off the backs to make them into a one-page postcard. We stood in a slow line and paid for the cards and stamps, but were then told they have no outgoing mail or nearby PO boxes. They also wouldn't let us leave the cards and put them in their own outgoing mail. (We luckily found a fitness equipment supply store nearby that was happy to mail our cards for us.) Service was friendly but it would have been nice to have a place to mail out the cards that they sell here.

Los Chismosas Taqueria, Concord

9/16/15 - Los Chismosas Taqueria, Concord, CA
1955 Monument Blvd
Concord, CA 94520

This small taqueria sits in the Four Corners shopping plaza at the Monument and Oak Grove Rd. intersection. It's across the street from Milo's Lounge (http://www.yelp.com/biz/milos-lounge-bar-concord) which may be important if you want a beer with dinner. I think I saw sangria in their soda fridge, but I don't recall seeing any Coronas.

My husband and I came in for dinner tonight and I ordered 3 tacos ($1.50 each): pollo (chicken), carne asada (beef), and adobada (seasoned pork). They didn't have a fish option or a veggie option (perhaps they will add to their menu as they grow). I also didn't see guacamole on the menu (side note: today is National Guacamole Day!) but you won't need guacamole with your chips if you like spicy salsa. Free chips are served to guests dining in the restaurant in a basket with a large bowl of a red salsa that was more like a hot sauce. It was a really liquid consistency, but maybe that's to protect the consumer - this stuff is spicy!! They also have two bowls of salsa on the counter (the type that they make the salsa in by smashing all the ingredients on the rough walls of the bowl). When they bring out your food they include two more hot sauce bottles (both a red and a green), plus they have a variety of premium hot sauce bottles on each table.


It's a family owned restaurant and so other menu items may appear and the salsas may change based on ingredients/tastes; and so far, so, so good! Our tacos quickly came out with steaming grilled onions on top. Each taco is served on two small, fresh, corn tortillas, and they pile on the meat and fresh onion/cilantro topping in large mounds on the warm shells. Really great value and the food was delicious. Honestly, I was so in love with the salsas and hot sauces they could have served me anything and I would have been drooling, but the tacos were indeed very tasty.

My husband finished both of our glass-bottled Coca Colas and I'm not sure that did a lot to help put out the fire in his mouth. And for me, the heat level was PERFECT (which means it is definitely spicy!!) - so I'll be back here again very soon!

CoCoJewelry, Fountain Valley

9/17/15 - CocoJewelry, Fountain Valley, CA
15916 Sterling Court
Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Picked up an adorable pair of Thanksgiving turkey earrings from CocoJewelry on Amazon. They have a great selection of dangle earrings and other pretty jewelry and accessories. My purchase was $12 with shipping included. It arrived three days after I ordered it.

If youre on amazon, be sure to check out CocoJewelry for cute stuff at reasonable prices!

Parking Concepts, Inc. - Concord, CA

6/9/15
Parking Concepts, 1575 Grant Street, Concord

This parking garage is only a block off of Clayton Road, near the Concord BART station. They have parking for monthly tenants and also guests who can pay by the hour. Two lanes of guest traffic flow into the garage and you take a ticket as you enter. The first time I pulled in, the ticketing machine on one guest side wasn't working and it took a few minutes for the car behind me to figure out that I had my reverse lights on for a reason. They gave me room to back out, then pulled up themselves to the broken machine instead of following me to the other side. Ha!
Parking rates are really reasonable - $1/hr, and you can pay quickly with your credit card as you exit. Don't lose your ticket. (And perhaps you can ask for validation, depending on where you are going?) Guest parking has a lot of "compact spots" and our Altima is more of a mid-size car, but fits in the little spots pretty nicely as long as the surrounding cars aren't on the line (which they always seem to be).



It's a convenient garage for visiting friends in the Bank of America corporate building, and a short walk to Todos Santos Plaza. The garage itself is really pretty on the outside with green vines decorating one side of the building. The stairs are clean and there are also elevators to move between floors. The doors are automatic so push the big button to walk out of the garage - but do NOT push on the doors themselves. (There are signs to remind you of the auto feature). And don't forget to pay attention to where you are when you park - it's a big garage with many levels.

New Day Spa Massage, Walnut Creek

6/9/15 - New Day Spa Massage, Walnut Creek


This day spa is connected to the building where I work. I walk by it all the time, promising myself that "one day" I'll stop in and treat myself to a massage. I usually take very short lunch breaks so I have been putting off this promise to myself for over a year. On my lunch break a few weeks ago I walked over and decided to get a foot massage - I didn't have time for the full hour, but told the woman working I was happy to pay full price for half an hour of treatment. The woman offered a better solution to my dilemma, and she and another girl working simultaneously rubbed my tired feet. (It was slow that afternoon so this isn't their usual practice, but I really appreciated the extra special treatment and excellent customer service.)

The massage was nice and started with my feet soaking in warm water before being dried, massaged, and then hydrated with a nice lotion. They didn't forget my calves and I really enjoyed a lower leg massage as well, leaving me feeling spoiled and refreshed as I walked a few yards back to the entrance of my office building. I received a few compliments from the woman on my legs and skin condition as I paid (perhaps because that's about the time you start calculating tip?) :) Either way, it was all around a terrific way to spend a short lunch break.