I am ‘special’.
| May 7, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under The Crazy |
HEY friends!! Having a good weekend? OH and I forgot to mention yesterday how GRATEFUL I am to all your awesome responses to my Q+A post!! You’re all the BEST and if you have any more questions feel free to ask here! 
I like to think of myself as ‘special’. I prefer that 1000x to ‘weird’ which I know is what people mean when they say I’m special in that patronising loving tone. Trust me, I get it a lot, but I just EMBRACE it!!
I am ‘special’ because I get up early on Saturday mornings to make myself the perfect breakfast. Chocolate PB cup baked oatmeal:
(Based on Katie’s cookie dough version, which I LOVE and made last week!) I basically followed her recipe but added 1 heaped tbsp cocoa powder plus put lots of nut butter (I used cashew) in the middle, so after baking, the middle looked like this deliciousness:
Mmmmm so delicious and so filling!! 
I am ‘special’ because I get embarrassingly excited over deliveries, especially packages that are bigger than my head…
…and trust me, that’s saying something! 
It was the goodies I won in Jemma’s giveaway!! A whole box of energy bars plus hemp protein powder:
SNACK BAR HEAVEN!!!
Thank you so much Jemma- you’re the BEST!!
I am ‘special’ because I always forget something. Like when I got to the gym today, only to realise I hadn’t packed any shorts/capris/sweat pants…
So I ended up doing my workout in what I was wearing there- skinny jeans.
Not comfy, very hot, and many many funny looks. Worth it though- had a great workout, and of course I had my fave chocolate milk waiting for me afterwards…
I’m telling ya, my muscles love me for it! 
I’m ‘special’ because I think it’s normal to have a big bowl of banana oatbran with nut butter and jam as an afternoon snack/post-workout munchie…
I was hungry, and I wanted food, and this was deeeelish!!
Of course, I still ate a big lunch and dinner too…
Creamy-cheezy polenta (cooked with vegan butter+nooch) topped with half a tub of red pepper hummus, and kabocha squash+brussels roasted in lots of coconut oil (<—HEAVENLY).
Lentil-potato stew with chopped kale, topped with tons of nooch. I added more nooch afterwards cos I’m addicted to the stuff!
I’m ‘special’ because I’m a cookie dough addict, and today I made a simple protein single-serving chocolate chip cookie dough!! 
Single Serving Protein Cookie Dough: 2 tbsp natural protein powder, 1 tbsp maple syrup/agave, 1 tbsp PB, vanilla extract, chocolate chips. (You can adjust quantities to make it as wet/dry as you like). Stir all together and stick in your freezer for a few mins if you like, or just eat straight up! Honestly, this is total bliss
I am special because I despite the fact that I am going to Hawaii…
…and San Francisco in a few months time…
…and I’m going to see those beautiful sights and do so many awesome things, I am almost just as excited at the prospect of hitting this place:
And Whole Foods. And the awesome vegan bakeries in San Fran. I know, I’m ashamed of myself. But I seriously am SO EXCITED about this summer, and I’ll tell you guys all about my plans in a later post so you can stalk me there, k?
Are you crazy ‘special’? What are your ‘special’ qualities? Special quality= not being to tell my left from my right straight away. I have to make the L sign with my hands, or just guess and hope I’m right!
What are your summer plans? Tell me so I can get jealous, and stalk YOU!!
Where would be your dream place to go in the world? If you say London to meet me, you get bonus brownie points, and real brownies when you come to visit
Have an AMAZING rest of the weekend, and I LOVE YOU ALL!!
Your cookie dough looks so legit! And so does that baked chocolate oatmeal!! Ahh San Fran is amazing, you will love it.
megan @ the oatmeal diaries recently posted..melbourne- penguins- oceans- & lentils
WOW THAT cashew butter middle looks AMAZING!! and WOWOWOWOW skinny jeans workout? girl u musta gotten HOT! i jeans always make me hot just wearin them let alone workin out in em! ahh love your oatbran! it is always so voluminous! GAH ur summer will be AMAZING!! mainly becuz u get to go to TJs.. priorities people!
Haha I WAS so hot!! Seriously, I was overheating sooo bad!!
And so will YOURS!! We’ll both be hitting up TJ’s right?
Omgzzzz LOVE that baked oatmeal!! and that is TOO funny about working out in your jeans!! i forgot my workout tshirt yesterday so had to wear the top i was wearing all day… so i’m special too
I am SO jealous of your holiday plans!! get me something nice yes?!
I’m working all summer!gahhhh it suckssss!
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Haha I thought you were gonna say you went shirtless then!!
Working all summer?! That sucks!! Well at least you’ll get lots of mula, whereas I’ll be spending all mine and I’ll return penniless!
ahahah yeah well my workout’s just THAT important to me!!
and I wish i was gonna get money, it’s part of my uni course so i get paid NADA!
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Love the looks of that baked oatmeal! It’s like an inverted Reese’s cup but better! Yum! I’m ‘special’ because… oh, there are so many reasons, I can’t even think of one specific one right now! This summer, I’ll be working at an overnight camp that I went to as a camper. I’m super pumped.
Lara @ six times the yum recently posted..Friday Favorites- April 29
Aaah I want that cookie dough! What PP did you use? I have some FOUL tasting pea protein powder…
Summer plans? Uh, NOT study, and sleep a lot! Oh, and marathon train
Dream place – USA baby.
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I used the last of my Sunwarrior. I’ve never had pea protein, but I sometimes use Pulsin soya which tastes of nothing and is dead cheap!
Haha wanna come with me then?
And your marathon training is SO EXCITING!! I remember reading all about it last year pre-blogging! 
Instead of sanfran you should come to LA
they have plenty of trader joes over here!!
You live in LA?! Oh I wish I could come, and I WILL someday!
That breakfast looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to be home from school to try this!
This summer I am working at a hospital near by and an ice cream shop! Pretty excited for the ladder of the jobs
Question: how did you create your header? I think it looks so nice and am looking to make a new header for my site
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AN ICE CREAM SHOP?! Best job EVER!!
I used the Picasa program- its so simple to do! Here’s a tutorial on it: http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/2009/08/tutorial-on-how-to-make-blog-banner.html
Hope that helped!
Can’t believe you worked out in your jeans! i hate wearing jeans enough as it is!
OMG funny story. I cant tell my left from right either. A few years ago I broke my right arm and me and mom could have sworn it was my left arm, so thats what we told everyone! It took us 5 ish days to notice that is was NOT my left arm.
Dream place is London to meet you totally
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Haha yeah I don’t recommend working out in your jeans!
That’s HILARIOUS!! Totally sounds like something I’d do!! And PLEASE COME sometime!! We’d have SO much fun together!
You deserve a gold star for still working out in skinny jeans! My special moment was storing my energy chews in a little pocket in the inside of my shorts…everyone walking/driving must have thought I was weird to pull food out of my shorts while running.
Dream places: New Zealand, Australia, Costa Rica, London (to run the London marathon…with post-race brownies from you!), Greece…there’s just SO many places I wanna go
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Haha I know what you mean!! That little pocket on the inside of tempo shorts? Yeah I do that all the time- hilarious!!
Pleeeeease come to London and do the marathon!! I’d love to do it as well in the future, and there will DEFINITELY be post-race brownies!!
LOL at you working out in your skinnys! now THAT is dedication. Love it!! All of your food looks amazing. I especially love the cookie dough. I do that all the time and it really is heaven.
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RAH!! I’m so excited for you to visit TJs and Whole Foods!! YOu’re seriously going to love them if you haven’t been already!! Pick up some sunflower seed butter, you won’t regret it!!
I once only had 30 minutes between classes and threw on gym pants over skinnies for a quickie workout at the gym so I wouldn’t get looks
you know that picture of hawaii? well we used to live right there! ahhhh! yes indeed. Boy do I miss it!
And you are so cute in your skinny jeans workout. haha.
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You used to LIVE in Hawaii?! Right there?! I never knew that!! That is SO cool- I’m so jealous!!
I looooove u, Emma! Have I mentioned that lately? Also, you look a lot like my neighbor. Maybe you could switch places for a while? No one would know
. And then I could meet you!
Oh, also, I once forgot my sneakers when I went to the gym and ran in my socks. I felt like everyone was looking at me, but they probably didn’t even notice!
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Seriously, can you arrange that? Then we can run side by side in the gym, you in your socks and my in my jeans whilst eating fudge babies
Love YOU!! <3
Um yeah, it definitely is totally normal to eat huge bowls of oats in the middle of the day and especially after workouts!! I LOVE that you worked out in your skinny jeans though-ahahaha you are so funny girlie! and btw the bars you won in jemmas giveaway look so bomb-I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
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I have “special” moments way too often, its fine. During my run today I was stopped at a crosswalk and I thought this guy asked me about my Garmin, so I go off telling him how much I love it for running & blah blah blah, then he just looks at me strangely. Only then did I realize he asked his friend about their garden… oh boy did I feel like a loser
Ummm can I please come live with you, you make the best food EVER and you are the sweetest! And OMG I live like minutes away from San Fran – you will LOVE it!
AHAHAHAHAHAHA ohmygosh that is HILARIOUS!! Seriously the funniest thing I have heard all day!!
PLEASE come and live with me!! No wait, if you live in Cali then I’m coming to live with YOU!!
I just love you and your specialness!
)
First of all, I wanna do that baked oatmeal! but I don’t have a ramekin or anything :/ Do you think muffin trays would work?
And I love cashew butter so yours looks extra super delish.
Also I thought of you today cuz I watched one of my fave episodes of Friends “The one where everyone finds out” and I was wondering if it’s one of your faves since we’re pretty much twins and all
Chandler: Going so soon?
Phoebe: Not without you, loveeerrrr! (with her bra undone, thanks to Joey
That’s hilarious that you worked out in skinny jeans! what was your workout?
And I am the same way with the post-workout snack of oatbran! I do that! So am I special, too?
Yours looks better than mine, though.
And your dinner is making me hungry again. I’m actually about to get my sweet potato that’s baking in the oven and top it with some coconut banana butter (CCKatie’s idea, of course). Yum!
Special quality- mine is the SAME as yours! I do the L! If we’re ever running with Coach, he’ll be like, “Okay, turn right.” And I’ll look down at my hands while running and everyone pokes fun at me
haha
Summer plans- finish track off in an awesome way! Hopefully go to finals of nationals in June! And also I’m taking Chem1&2 this summer to catch up in my nutrition major. I also might work at the ballpark again like last summer!
Dream place- Trader Joe’s with you!
Or just visit you in England!
Umm.. also Disneyworld. My fave place EVER! And then maybe Neverland
Sorry this is UBER long! I just love you so much and write too much cuz I get so excited! <3
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This comment made my LIFE!!
AHAHA that is one of my FAVE episodes EVER!! “Not without you loverrr”!! I think that’s the one too where Rachel says to Joey “You don’t have any secrets!” and he says “Yeah, well you don’t know about Hugsy, my bedtime peguin pal…damn it!!” Seriously I cry with laughter EVERY TIME!!
I swear we are actual twinsies. You don’t know how happy it makes me to have someone who shares my special left-right thing, and my Friends obsession, and oatbran snackage
Haha my workout was 5 miles on the elliptcal plus weights. I tried the bike and other machines but wasn’t so successful in my skinnies, and man alive was I hot, so I don’t recommend it!
Your summer sounds AWESOME!! Especially the bit about visiting me!
And I LOVE DisneyWorld!! Can we please go there together?! Oooh and Nationals?! I am SO excited for you- you will seriously KICK BUTT there!! 
Haha this is an uber long response! I just love YOU too much!!
P.S. Yeaaah you can make the baked oatmeal in a muffin tin! I’m sure Katie said she did once anyway, and WHAT CCK coconut banana butter in a sweet tater?! Best idea EVERRR I am so trying that!!!
I have so many special moments at the gym. I forget half my stuff the majority of the time but eh I’m over it. When I go on vacay half of my favorite part of visiting is eating all the new exotic noms.
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People think I’m “special” just for being vegan, and I have this weird way of walking really fast, looking at the floor, and smiling=)
My dream place to travel to is Madrid:)
I live Orlando and there’s no Trader Joe’s here:( Your vacay sounds like so much fun!
So true!! Vegan is definitely ‘special’ here at least!
And haha that’s so funny!!!
Madrid is LOVELY!! And there’s no TJ’s in Orlando?! Madness!!
P.S. You live in Orlando?! You lucky girl!!
When you’re in San Francisco, if you get a chance to go to Berkeley go to Cafe Gratitude! It’s a raw/vegan cafe that I blogged about from my trip there. It was amazeballs. WRITE THAT DOWN NOW SO YOU DON’T FORGET!!!!!
I can’t believe you did your workout in skinny jeans you silly little fool. Although I did that same thing in uggs once… I’m not sure which is worse!
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Haha you worked out in UGGS?! I think I’ll take the jeans- my feet would’ve been sweatyyy!!
Argh I don’t think I will sadly! I’m only in San Fran for a short time cos it’s just a stopover on my way to Hawaii
But next time I defo will!! I remember seeing it on your blog and drooling at the yumminess! 
Ok you are a rockstar for working out in skinnys! I can’t think of anything more bleh so more power to ya!
I enjoy waking up early to make breakfast too. Even when I have nothing else to do the whole and on weekends. And at school if I wanted to sleep in I’d at least make sure I had time to make breakfast…showering isn’t always necessary haha
That is so awesome that you just did your workout in skinny jeans! I def would have gone home and changed and gone back (if I had time and if not I’d probably would have left and been frustrated with myself haha)
Yeah sadly I didn’t have time to go home, so I just stuck it out and I was HOT I tell ya!
HAHAHA soooo true!! Yummy food > hygiene any day!!
You will LOVE whole foods. I have one about 2 hours away, but I’ve still never been! I’m going in about a month. My sister lives right next to it, and says it’s amazing. Trader joes is only twenty minutes away from me, but I’m just not really that into it for some reason lol. I get a few things every now and then, but maybe it’s because I live in Oregon and it’s probably a smaller trader joes compared to most.
I wish so bad you could try some of the stuff here. Maybe for your bday or something (whenever that is) Ill send ya some justins, or make sure you get it at whole foods. I found this site today…http://www.nuttyspeanutbutter.com/products-peanut-butter.asp
They have mint chocolate chip pb, butterscotch pb, chocolate marble pb, and a lot more!
logan osterhout recently posted..Swimming- Oatmeal- Biking- Calories- Questions- and Lots and Lots of Peanut Butter
Hehe trust me, when I get to Whole Foods, they won’t know what’s hit them! I will rid them of ALL their nut butter, especially Justin’s mwah ha ha!!
I really would love to come back to London once, so I am looking forward the brownies:)) I am kind of “special” in many ways as you – I wake up at 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday to prepare myself a breakfast (you baked oatmeal looks delicious!)I forget something everyday:) And I love to get huge packets of anything:) Congratulations on winning the giveaway!
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Woah 5am?! Okay haha I’m not QUITE as ‘special’ as you!
And YEAAH please come to London!! Brownie time!!
Yes, I am known as “chronical insomniac” aka “freak” by my friends:)) Looking forward to tasting those brownies:)
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LOL at your jeans. I would have turned around and went home so I admire your dedication!
I love that you worked out in your jeans!
When you come to San Francisco you should visit me and we can go on a run and go to one of the best vegan restaurants everrrr!
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I would loooove to but sadly San Fran is only a stopover for me on my way to Hawaii, so I’m only gonna be there for a day or so
Next time though I’ll stay for AGES and then we can have an awesome bloggie meet-up and you can show me all these amazing restaurants!! 
<3
I wouldn’t mind flying to London to meet you
You’re special in the best possible way. People tell me sometimes too that I’m special, like I ride heavy motorbike, I run marathons and adventure races, I do long-term fasts, I also eat some “special” foods which seem so normal to me.
Yay for us, special people
You sound like an awesome ‘special’ person
And PLEASE come to London!! We’ll have such a blast eating brownies and running togther! 
Ahah, you were the weirdo in jeans in the gym! I always look at those and think “HUH!?”. Now I get it..
The worst thing I’ve forgotten is underwear. I just did it commando 
So jealous that you’re going to San Fran! That is on my top 5 list. I don’t have any summer plans yet, though I will be going to Berlin to visit my sister and some friends over from the US at some point. I MUST get some sun though. Maybe a last minute to Greece or something
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AHAHAHA you went commando?!?! Hilarious!!
Yeah, I was one of those people!! I could feel myself being silently judged…! 
I was going to award the ‘most delicious food pic ever’ Oscar to your cashew butter baked oatmeal, but then I saw the rest of your meals and the decision became a lot tougher. The oat bran, the polenta, the cookie dough…oooh, everything!
Actually my dream holiday would involve visiting London and running with you (if that’s not too stalkerish) because my ideal would be to travel up and down the country and even around the world meeting the fab bloggers I ‘know’ and going for a run with each of them in their respective locations.
If I were to list my ‘special’ qualities we’d be here all day. Trust me.
I don’t have any summer plans
I wish I did though!
xxx
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Hehe thank you!! If you haven’t tried baked oatmeal yet you SHOULD!! You will LOVE it!
That’s not stalkerish at all!! PLEASE come sometime!! We would have SUCH a great time!!
I cannot believe you worked out in skinny jeans!! Haha now thats commitment!! I am special because I actually look foward to bike riding and would rather ride my bike than drive my car because I love the exercise! I am also special because I spend most of my paycheck on new foods to try and make all these yummy vegan recipes!! I really do dream of visiting London, but I had no idea you lived there! I just really hoped I would run into a certain red-headed prince named Harry
HAHA yeah I run into Prince Harry on a daily basis!
If only…!!
We sound like TWINS!! I spend WAY too much on yummy food too, and exercise is the BEST!! Pleeease visit London and me!!
Haha – I love the fact that you did your workout in skinny jeans! It reminds me of being at school and having to do PE in pants and a vest – or even worse – in something out of the lost property!! I once got my Dad to drive 15 mins to my gym to bring my trainers because I was too lazy to go back for them (I’m a terrible daughter!)
I would definitely be making a special trip to Trader Joe’s if I was off to the States – I’m very jealous
I’ve not got any summer plans at the moment. I’ll probably have a bit of a staycation in June and hang around Cambridge, London and Lincolnshire.
OHEMGEEEEE. i do the “L for left” hand thing too!!! i actually had to do it in my driving test a few times and i swear the instructor thought i was UBER special! still, at least i didnt drive into any oncoming traffic :-p
My summer plans are looking pretty spectacular if i may say so myself! cos i TOO am hitting up the big US of A!!!! yipeeeeee i cant wait! Im also planning a little relaxation vacay to ibiza afters. hippy chill out time
i have always wanted to go to hawaii!!! i love the fact that you can get across the whole island by foot if you want to! i will def be looking forwards to hearing all about your trip! and even tho i dont live far from london, im mighty tempted to get on a train JUST for some brownie magic!! :-p
Happy Sunday love
x
Yaaaay oh I am SO HAPPY I’m not alone with the whole left-right thing!!
Your summer sounds AMAZING!! Ibiza too?! You’re one lucky chica!
You are AWESOME! It’s hard to say what I love most about this post…the peanut butter chocolate baked oatmeal, the fact you rocked your workout in skinny jeans or your excitement over visiting TJs.
Happy weekend!
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hey emma are you still going to do the bagel post? am really interested to see what you have to say on that!
Hey!! Haha yes I am on Thursday
Sorry for the delay, but basically it’s based on someone’s email and I had to get their permission to use it first, and they took a while to get back to me. Anyway, I’m happy you’re looking forward to it! 
ok awesome. hope you feel better soon! food poisoning is the worst
That baked oatmeal sounds amazing. Love the idea of putting nut butter in the middle – might have to try that with some almond butter!
Do you have a recipe for that lentil-potato stew?
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You have to try it!! You’ll LOVE it!!
Haha no sorry! All I did was cook 100g of lentils, then stir in tomato-veggie sauce, add nutritonal yeast, salt+spices, chopped boiled potatoes and chopped kale. I just kinda chicked everything in a pan and it tasted good!
You’re hilarious, Emma! I love that you worked out in skinny jeans! I know I’ve totally forgot to pack my workout shoes before, but you just go with.
You’ll love Hawaii so much! Which islands are you visiting? I took a marine biology course on the big island and then spent time on Maui.
My dream place to visit is Italy, although London is definitely on my list of places to go. My fiance and I are making it happen for our honey! Dream come true!
I’m visiting Hawaii (Big Island) and Oahu
Wow a marine biology course there? That sounds AWESOME!!
Hehe you’d better come to London- or else!
Ha! I totally over estimated the size of the box of energy bars, hence the oversized envelope!!! Sounds like you are going to have an amazing summer. I’m going to Florence this summer and I can’t wait!!!
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He he love the skinny jeans at the gym!
I might try to make my own following your recipe, is it just as nice? And the raisin and cinammon too mmh!
I made some cinammon baked oatmeal earlier YUM!!! So nice.
This summer I’m going to Manchester for a couple of weeks, then to Disneyland Paris for two days, and one week to Italy!
I really want to go to London too, to buy some Dark chocolate dreams at Whole Foods, I tried to buy some on Amazon, but they won’t deliver to France
x
Mmm cinnamon baked oatmeal?! I HAVE to try that!!
Wow you are SO LUCKY!! I LOVE Disneyland, and Italy too?! I’m jealous
Oooh yes defo try the nut butters!! They’re my addiction! And yes COME TO LONDON!! Only a train ride away!!
You are so special beautiful girl!! I’m special because even though I’m panicking about packing my dorm room I won’t let anyone help because I need to make sure everything is in the right place =). And I would LOVE to come visit you in London!! And then we can go to Paris and Greece!!! xoxox
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Haha yaay we are soo special!!
Love. That. Idea. LET’S DO THAT GIRL!!!
I am ‘special’ because I don’t hog my knowledge of cashew butter being so flippin’ AMAZING!!!
Hahahahah!
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You’re definitely special, girl – in a million ways!
I completely know what you mean about not knowing left from right… I’ve struggled with that forever! And unfortunately, making the L sign with my hands doesn’t work for me because I’m dyslexic, and so they both seem right to me!
But like you said, it makes me ‘special’ 
<3 <3
Haha I LOVE that!! YOU are special girl in a TRILLION ways!!!
<3
I love this post! So full of energy! I am going to make that oatmeal bake you had for breakfast… tomorrow. Too bad I’m out of cashew butter though, I’ll have to sub something else! And I am OBSESSED with nooch too. And Trader Joe’s. Exciting that you’re going to San Fran this summer! I’ve always wanted to go.
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Thank you!! Oh you will LOVE the baked oatmeal!! SO GOOD!! I’ev but Dark Chocolate Dreams in the middle before which was amaaaazing!!
mmmmm if I was going to America Trader Joe’s would be on my hitlist alright! I’ve been to the one in Manhattan and it was a real battle to get around it so if I would like to go to a bigger, less stressful one but I suppose I should get my passport renewed before I even think of such things
PS Hopped over here after your post on Laura’s blog