Free is not always better

Blasphemy you say! Time is money, yada yada yada, there is no such thing as a free lunch, etc. Ok, ok, I hear you. Although I do gain much joy out of finding a good and especially free deal, some of them are a risk. I was bitten by a trip to the Shedd Aquarium, my favorite museum, when on a free day the wait just to get inside was several hours (no, I did not wait). It was a good lesson and reminds me to think a little bit harder when I see the word FREE.

On the brighter side, I had a wonderful free lunch last week at the all you can eat Brazilian steak house Fogo De Chao. A salad bar that alone I could have made 5 different meals from plus unlimited amounts of 16 cuts of meat. I believe I sampled every cut with my favorite being picanha, the best part of the sirloin. Other notable mentions were beef ancho and bacon wrapped filet mignon. Even though the food is great, I give a mild recommendation since the price is steep and it would be difficult to eat your money's worth.

Colombia is a neighbor to Brazil and also boasts delicioso meat dishes. We recently hosted a birthday party for a friend at a very festive Colombian restaurant Pueblocito Viejo. The fact that you have to make a reservation in Spanish speaks to the authenticity of the place. Not

only do you get many authentic dishes like carne asada, arepas, and platanos, but the jungle like atmosphere will place you on a house patio in Bogotá. Salsa and dance music kicks in around 9 and you can dance your meal off till 3 am.

Wyatt and I love Ethiopian food and have found many people aren't exposed to this unique cuisine. Chicago has several options for Ethiopian, but we have declared the creme de la creme to go to Ethiopian Diamond after many thorough tastings. We love to sit at traditional or basket tables and split a platter of several meats and veggie stew-like dishes. The unique part of the meal is your utensil, injera. This crepe-like bread is quite sour if made right since it is fermented for 4 days. If its your first time definitely get the spice tea and a sample platter of several dishes.

To end this eclectic blog I want to share a tip I found out by accident this week. I recently discovered that the special weekend rate for Avis kicks in at 9 am on Thurs. So by booking 30 min later than I wanted I went from a rate of $161 for the weekend to $90. Play around with the hours when you book cars and flights and you just might get a super deal. This will come in handy as we plan several upcoming adventures to Seattle, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and Iowa!

Thought for the day: A free lunch is only found in mousetraps?

Dicern Your Food

I primarily shop in one aisle of the supermarket, fresh produce and meat. My local Jewel consists of about 90% processed food and 10% fresh food. I'm not on a diet nor do I want to be, but I have decided to become more food conscience. One couple at our young marrieds class at church reminisced about how they knew the honeymoon was over when 3 months in they were 20 pounds heavier and realized its time to cut back on the three course gourmet meals every night.

Every now and again my Time mag has an article worth reading. What the World Eats was fascinating, see the pictorial here. The photo essay pictures 16 families from around the world and what they eat. The essay outlines how much each family spends weekly on food. Not surprisingly, an African family only spend $1.50 a week for a food budget. A German family came out on top spending over $500 a week. The most appealing layouts to me where Japanese and Mexican food diets. Japanese of course for the fresh fish and sushi, although Wyatt and I found ourselves worn out on sushi after 2 weeks in Japan. I still cannot eat Udon since getting back. Mexico seems to sport the most fresh veggies and fruits and I am of late a chili fanatic.

The article in Time had some interesting observations. I will relay a few for you. Tomatoes didn't come to Italy until Columbus brought them back from US. Japan got chopsticks from China and tempura from Portugul. Food's purpose is to keep us alive, but something we rarely think about. Africa is one place where this reality can be see. Meat is a luxury in many areas and last year the starvation in Niger spoke to the great need for the basic necessities for this continent.

In closing I will plug an upcoming food movie I am soo excited to see, Ratatouille! From my favorite movie company, Pixar, makers of Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc, comes this animated feature of a mouse in Paris with a knack for the culinary arts. France, food, and furry animals, sounds like a winner to me.

Let me know which country food appeals to you and why.

Thought for the day: Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. ~Jim Davis

Two Sweet Freebies!

Two excellent freebies, you should download and listen! Christianaudio.com has a free monthly download and this month its an audio book on the best of Jonathan Edwards Sermons, $15 value. Download here and use code provided. I just downloaded it, so I will let you know what I think once I get to listen. It includes his most famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God...good stuff.

Secondly, the New Attitude conference from two weeks ago is up for free at Sovereign Grace Ministries. The conference is on discernment and features great speakers like John Piper, Mark Dever, and Joshua Harris. Still working my way through the seven part conference, but so far its great.

Thats all for now, I should be back soon : )