= how many days I’ve been packing for! Workout clothes, dressy clothes, casual, warm. Yikes! I’m taking a duffle bag that I took to England for an entire summer! I feel like I packed pretty concisely, but since we’re not going to be able to do laundry, I had to pack 9 of each of the essentials.
This morning I headed to the gym for a quick workout before meeting Andrew for lunch. I biked there, did some time on the ET and then biked straight back home and took a quick shower. The usual.
Andrew was running late and I sure worked up an appetite! We made our way straight to Great Harvest for some killer sandwiches.
The store was PACKED with customers and bread!!
GH has a sandwich program that is relatively new to Matt’s store and believe it or not I’ve never had one of their sandwiches. The choice was very tough, as they have some fun creations. I was torn between a hummus and avocado, a turkey and avocado with jam and the pimento cheese. I ended up choosing the “Masters” (pimento cheese) because it’s one of my very favorites! Love that you can order a half sandwich, and that’s just what I did.
It comes with toasted pecans and hot pepper jelly!! I asked for it with extra veggies and lite on the cheese. It rocked!!
We had to eat in chairs since the store is on the small side and doesn’t have tables.
Pickles on the side! LOVE deli pickles
And I bought a grapefruit at Trader Joe’s next door to have with my sandwich half, but turns out the sammie was pretty filling and i saved the grapefruit for another time.
We snuck back to check on the bakers.
Check out this anaconda
of a Chocolate Babka roll being shaped!
Pre-melting
Matt raves about the Virginia rolls hot out of the oven. They are made with potato!
He added some a pound of butter
I had a heavenly bite
How does he maintain his weight here? He literally RUNS from oven to dough mixer to bread board all day long! [And he bikes 12 miles a day to and from work.] He earns every bite!
Andrew and I hit up a small wine tasting at TJs and then made our way to the mall
Presents were purchased!
Then we went to Costco. Shopping is exhausting! My shoes gave me blisters.
Finally, home, to pack. Which was also exhausting. I feel like a mom packing for kids sometimes we have so many toys and foods and chargers and electronics to pack!
Then it was dinnertime. Clean out the fridge!! I got out the leftovers to make a buffet…
Dinner was…not pretty….but it tasted amazing! Kind of like refried beans with cheese, hot sauce, tortilla chips and spinach underneath all melted together!
I was full after this but still kept it on the small side because we had a date to join our friends for Tasty-Yo!!!
I had to go all out with the seasonal flavors because they won’t be around for long!
Peppermint, Gingerbread, Choco Chip Minis
Friends Friends! Merry Christmas!
Not sure I’ve ever seen him this tired. He crashed at 8:30 when we got home. He’s got 11 days off through our vacation, so he’s got tons of time for R&R.
I’m tired too and we’ve got a big day of traveling tomorrow. And festivities! Zzzzzz
Ameena says
That picture of the Virginia roll with butter?? It’s killing me!
Amari says
Love the festive yogurt toppings! Looks delicious!
MelanieF says
Matt looks really tired, I hope he gets plenty of rest during your vacation ! 🙂
Kristine @ Purple Pinky Toes says
that looks like a great day! I love that GH has sammys now!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
What a great, delicious day! Have a safe trip! 🙂
Karla says
GH bread on your blog always looks delicious! I’m so jealous! I wish I had one near me!
Heather @ The Joyful Kitchen says
That bread looks fantastic, which is probably a good reason why i DON’T work at GH! Hope y’all have a wonderful trip!
Kristen says
Gingerbread looks like a brilliant choice.
Safe travels!
Jennifer (Running With Cake) says
11 days off! How wonderful – hope you two enjoy every minute of your vacation! Merry Christmas 🙂
amber says
LOL I thought maybe you had seen the movie nine! lol I really want to see it and I love your reviews! Have an amazing trip! That is a lot of packing to do!
Erin says
Wow, sounds like Matt really earned a vacation. Safe travels! 🙂
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) says
Oh yummy, all those baked goods look fantastic!
candice says
GH cheese sandwich + seasonal fro-yo?! I need more tasty morsels like those to go in my mouth. 😉
Sheila | Live Well 360° says
So we made the trip to Great Harvest! Yay! It was 40 min each way, but worth it. I did find out they are at the Farmers Market sorta near (closer to) where we live, on Saturdays. Neat. I have to say, their chocolate babka was nowhere near as chocolatey as Matt’s. We got honey whole wheat, pumpkin choc chip, and cinnamon pecan swirl. Heaven.
Enjoy your vaca. Matt looks like he needs a serious nap! Merry Christmas Kath!
Kath says
YUMMY! enjoy!
Mara @ What's for Dinner? says
I’ve got a 2 hour layover in Charlotte tomorrow… i’ll make sure to wave!
Kath says
I waved!
Hillary (Nutrition Nut on the Run) says
Sephora = love. Hope that gift was for you! ; )
Alison says
what a fun day you had! i’ve been trying to eat up all kinds of seasonal flavors in my foods lately as well. i was thinking the same thing about working at a bread store–i’d feel like i’d eat everything. but, like you said, he earns it as he gets a lot of exercise being on his feet all day.
Christy says
Wow that chocolate babka roll looks intense!! What a cool bakery/deli!
ilana says
ooh, hummus and avocado…you just inspired tomorrow’s packed lunch.
have a safe journey and merry xmas!!
Joelle (The Pancake Girl) says
That holiday fro-yo is perf for Christmas! Love the crushed peppermint!
Lucinda says
I can’t get over the tree, its HUGE!
BroccoliHut says
Yum! Pepper jelly:)
That is one amazing tree.
Sarah says
Actually that dinner looked and sounded pretty darn good. Have a great trip and safe travels!
christie @ honoring health says
I live in Va and have idea what a VA roll is. I have a feeling it is like a white house roll but I don’t think those are made with potato. White house rolls are what they always serve ham on and call them “ham biscuits”. The first time I ever saw one, I was expecting a biscuit, of course, and was so surprised that that is not what it was. Anyway, I need to look that up and see if they are the same thing.
Susan says
That babka roll looks delicious even before going into the oven!!! And I totally predicted you’d get the pimento cheese sandwich after you listed them out 😉 I must try this pimento cheese you always speak of… Safe travels!!
Kristen @ Change of Pace says
All the bread looks so good! We have a GHBC here but it doesn’t serve sandwiches… Weird.
Simply Life says
YUM! All that fresh bread looks soooo tasty!
Anne Marie@New Weigh of Life says
Enjoy your vacation!! The sandwich looks amazing.
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
Wow, Matt truly is a dedicated worker! How neat that GH started carrying sandwiches too!
Hope everything goes smoothly with the traveling!
Paige(Running Around Normal) says
Wow that sandwich sounds amazing! Nom nom! I wish our GH carried sandwiches.
Sounds like you had quite the day of shopping. Did you know Sephora is having an online sale right now?
Diana says
I wonder if Nate caught where you said “sammie”? lol
that virginia roll must have tasted amazing fresh out of the oven…yum! sorry we couldn’t make Tasty Yo – looks like a fun time! 🙂
Krissy (Single Serving) says
Everything looks so amazingly delicious. Rest up and have a wonderful vacation!!!
Cait (Cait's Plate) says
Oh my gosh. BEST. FRO YO COMBO. EVER!!!! So jealous.
Matt looks so tired! I hope he recovers over his break!
Lee says
Every time I read your GH posts, I think to myself that I really need to check out GH. It’s like 2 miles from my house and I’ve never been.
Tracey says
ALL the food in this post looks amazing, even drool worthy! However, is it strange that the one items I crave the most is the pickle?!? I’ve loved pickles ever since I was a little girl!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
lol…chocolate babka reminds me of that Seinfeld episode.
Packing for nine days with no option for doing laundry? Ugh. Good luck!!
Allison K. says
That roll with the butter? OMG. it looks amazing.
Jenny says
Packing is definitely stressful, glad you got it all covered now!!
Those Great Harvest sandwiches sound great, I would never be able to choose!
And omg that yogurt! I bet the gingerbread was tasty 🙂 Happy Christmas Eve and day, wishing you guys safe travels!
Jewel says
Those sandwiches look so good!
I am jealous! We have no Great Harvest in Florida and you tease and torment me all the time!
I just plugged in my zip and the nearest one to me is 611 miles away in Wilmington NC.
Have a great trip and wishing you and your family Happy Holidays!
Danielle says
I so wish we had a Great Harvest here in Florida because everything (bread and sandwiches) always look SO GOOD when you post them. Yum!
Carolyn says
My husband was drooling over the Chocolate babka!!
The Healthy Apple says
Oooo chocolate babka….sooo yummy.
Merry Christmas, Kath!