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it is finally over....kind of

  30-Day Challenge
to

Eat at HOME!

Finally, our 30 Day Challenge to Eat at Home is over! Today = day 30 and I couldn't be more excited. We've done pretty well, but I have to admit, we did not make it the whole 30 days. But I promise we have really good excuses for why! haha.
The first "cheat" came earlier in October. The Rocky Mountain Lutheran School District hosted a conference in Breckenridge and Aaron's school graciously took both of us up there! (PS, if you click on the link, the 5th picture in feature's Aaron's little brother, Alex! He is the one in the middle on the right side!) So, for 3 days, we were happily stuck in a beautiful hotel/conference center in the mountains, watching the leaves change and the first snow of the season!



We were there 2 nights and really had no choice but to eat out! We made sure not to go crazy just because it was a bit of a "free weekend"!! We enjoyed good meals with fellow teachers and staff and had a great time while we were there.

The next "free weekend" was this past weekend. Aaron's great friend, Nathan, drove from Lincoln, Nebraska to visit us! I don't have a picture from the weekend, but here are some from the wedding...

Nathan gave a toast at our cake reception!

So Nathan came to visit and they had such a jam-packed weekend! From school soccer games, to the Denver Rapids MLS game on Friday to driving up to Ft. Collins to see Boise St play on Saturday, we just needed to eat out, haha! Not to mention it was Nathan's first time to Denver, so of course we had to show him around! I would say our highlight was definitely finally trying out Lucille's Creole Cafe.


A small taste of New Orleans, we began our Sunday morning meal with beignets!! Though we weren't at Cafe Du Monde with the river behind us and crazy people watching in the French Quarter, they were still good. Aaron got the Creole Omelet, which he really enjoyed, and Nathan and I both got Eggs Benedict. We will definitely be returning to this place. There is New Orleans paraphernalia all over the place! It might be our best option for donating all those Mardi Gras beads we brought with us! While we're talking about New Orleans, for lunch on Saturday (in order to watch some quality football games) we made our way over to Stoney's Bar. Stoney's is known for being the "Saints" bar in Denver and it certainly lived up! There was Saints stuff all over the walls and they have a huge giveaway going on for a free trip to New Orleans for a game! Though we didn't make it there this past Sunday, I'm sure we will head over for a game before the season ends. Its so nice to find little pieces of NOLA here in Denver!

So, that is how our 30 day challenge ended. On a super positive side, we really enjoyed the money we saved and the meals we cooked! Aaron cooked Gumbo twice and we've had a lot of Jambalaya and Red Beans and Rice. Yay for Zatarains! Cooking is no longer a burden and I'm soooo glad our weekend-eating-out-extravanganza has been curbed!

Here is the kicker though, Aaron wants to continue on until November 11! He's crazy. We're headed down to New Orleans for a wedding that weekend and he is convinced it would be "really cool" or "really special" or something ridiculous to have our first meal out back in NOLA. I'm not sure I can go that long! I set the boundaries for our 30-day challenge of no spending money on food except at the grocery store, so 7-eleven and coffee shops were out of the question. For his continued challenge, I think he's gonna be a little more lenient....so Panera, here I come! (Coffee shops has definitely been the part I have missed the most!) I'm not promising anything for the Nov. 11th date, though I do think its kind of sweet and romantic to break the "fast" in New Orleans. I can't wait to be back in the city, especially after all the New Orleans places we discovered this weekend! I think only 23 more days until we arrive!!!!!

Have you done any challenges lately? Anything relating to food, exercise or entertainment? I'd love to hear about it!























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