gluten free zen
Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Out With The Old, In With The New!
Vegetable Pakora Lunch
Quite yummy but maybe being a bit overshadowed by those gorgeous organic strawberries…
I am quickly learning that until our house sells, I pretty much cannot commit to a whole heck of a lot. I kind of just have to wake up and greet the day and whatever happens, happens. But that doesn’t stop me from trying to make plans. You would think I would learn. Ha!
Last night I had visions of a glorious day in the kitchen baking and frosting sugar cookies and trying to see if I could come up with a savory pumpkin boule. I convinced myself, and then posted it on Facebook (pretty much jinxing myself) that I was going to get up, take the dogs on a beautiful walk and then spend the entire day in the kitchen doing basically whatever I pleased.
I managed the walk, which was nice. But never got around to the baking. This morning my husband “parted ways” with our realtor. There were a lot of valid reasons but the icing on the cake was that we had an open house two days in a row last weekend and they listed our house in the local newspaper at the wrong price. Yep. And of course the deadline was Friday so it couldn’t be changed or cancelled. So we spent the only two days my husband was home carting animals back and forth and waiting for the open houses to be over. And guess how many people showed up? Zilch. Zero. Nada. No big surprise since the price was wrong and we weren’t even catering to people in our price range. It was quite frustrating and actually made me want to just sit in a heap and cry…or strangle someone. I did neither. We sucked it up and dealt with our weekend like big people. But it wasn’t easy.
So! Out with the old and in with the new! We hired a new Realtor who started working for us immediately. The house will be back on the market on Friday.
I meet with our new Realtor tomorrow so he can take pictures of the house and I can fill out all of the necessary paperwork. Instead of sugar cookies and beautiful pumpkin bread dancing through my head, I had to don work gloves and clean the house and mow the lawn. Oh well, such is life. My expanding hips probably didn’t need sugar cookies and bread anyway…
I did manage to make myself some lunch. I don’t typically buy pre-packaged foods… but have you been down the frozen isles in Trader Joe’s? H-O-L-Y C-O-W…how I envy those of you who can eat whatever you please. It’s probably a good thing that I can’t eat 98% of what they sell or I would be gorging myself on perogi, lasagna, cheese tamales, baby frozen quiche, death by chocolate cake, cheese cake, and all kinds of frozen little delights I’ve never even heard of. I did happen to run across one thing I could try. Vegetable Pakoras. They are basically vegetable fritters but with an Indian kick. They are quite yummy and made for a very nice and quick lunch!
They are vegan and as far as I could tell from the ingredient list, gluten-free. However, they are processed in a plant with other gluten items. So if you are that sensitive…I would steer clear. So far I feel fine, but I will be sure to let you know in the morning if I wake up stiff and headachey.
I was also able to finally find real buffalo mozzarella at Trader Joe’s! I was so thrilled I was sad that I was shopping by myself and there was no one there to jump up and down with me. I think I actually gasped out loud when I saw it tucked in among the goat cheese containers. However, I did refrain from jumping up and down. I surprised my husband with a pepperoni pizza lunch the first day he was back in town.
The buffalo milk didn’t bother my stomach at all, tasted wonderful, and melted like regular mozzarella cheese. It was heavenly.
Well, as I sit here eating a rather dull dinner and dreaming of pizza (a plate of black re-fried beans with Daiya cheese and Tabasco) …I still have bathrooms to clean and it’s already 7:45. I wanted to check in with you all and make sure you knew I hadn’t forgotten about you.
Hope all is well in your neck of the woods! ~ April
12 Comments on “Out With The Old, In With The New!”
Leave a reply to hotlyspiced Cancel reply
gluten free zen 
Is a shame I don’t have Trader Joe here in Madrid… it sounds terrific!! And your lunch? perfect 🙂
Be patient and you’ll see everything will be just fine 🙂
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I wish you had a Trader Joe’s too! Their organic vegetables are amazing inexpensive. Although, I’m sure Madrid doesn’t pesticide the heck out of everything like America, so you may have no need to buy organic. Ha! 😉
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I’m so sorry to hear your house still hasn’t sold. It does seem it has been on the market for a very long time. And that’s so disappointing to go to all the trouble of getting your home ready for viewing only to have no one turn up – twice! Unbelievable. I’m sure your new agent will bring new energy to your property and I’m sure your buyer is on his way xx
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I love our new realtor! We know him, he sold my mom’s house and we should have gone with him from the very beginning. Met with him today and everything is under control. 🙂
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Sorry you had to change realtors, April, but I bet this will turn out to be a very good thing. Fingers crossed. Some years ago my apartment building went condo and I was approved for a mortgage to buy my unit. Soon thereafter, the realtors held an open house. When I went next door to see how things were going, I was shocked to see a number of homeless people as the prospective buyers — and no one else. When I inquired, the realtor told me not to worry about it. He could “get anyone a mortgage.” He claimed not to see why that would upset me. I withdrew my app. and moved a month later.
So glad you can enjoy bufala mozzarella! That is really wonderful news and I can’t wait to see the dishes you dream up using it.
Good luck with the new realtor. Till next time ..
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Hi John! We love our new realtor. We actually know him as he has also sold a house for my mom and to my mom in the past. He will work hard for us and do a great job, there’s no doubt about that.
I just finished a fictional book about a socialite group in New York and their apartment drama. Almost the same thing that you described happened in that book! I was shocked to think that when they go “condo” the residents are just left to figure out where they are going to live. I wouldn’t have wanted a realtor approving homeless folks to live in my building either. Thank goodness you were able to find another place!
I can’t wait to get back up to Trader Joe’s for more mozzarella. I already have lots of cheesy recipes dancing through my head. Now if life could just slow down a tiny bit, I might be able to get some of them posted! Ha!
Have a lovely Sunday ~ April
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I’d forgotten to mention that Eva, of Kitchen Inspirations, directed me to Costco, where bufalo mozzarella is, also, available. I don’t know which is better but it is always good to have choices. 🙂
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Wonderful! Thank you, John, I’ll have to check that out!
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How deeply boring to have an open day and no-one comes, BUT how completely wonderful that you found the REAL mozzerrella. Fingers crossed the new realtor gets it together for you. Have you bought your new place yet, have you got a wee bit of land? i keep wondering when i am outside, then forget to ask you when i am inside. Doesn’t time just FLY! c
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No, not yet. We haven’t even decided what town we’re going to live in! Ha! We have been looking at some houses on lake property. I think it’s safe to say we haven’t settled on deciding what it is we really want. Land, water, big house, small house….luckily we are getting some time to think about it.
The house not selling as quickly as we’d like is frustrating for us, but really, when it sells it sells…not much more we can do about it. 🙂
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I’m so sorry to hear you didn’t have any showings. The market here is erratic.. it will be wildly busy then completely quiet. I though our market had stabilized but then it takes me by surprise. I’m sure it’s like this everywhere. I will send out positive thoughts that your house will sell so you can move on with your dreams and plans! xx Smidge
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Yes, that’s what we’ve been going through. I guess it just has to be that perfect fit…so we’re waiting (somewhat) patiently. 😉
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