Greetings from Knoxville, Tennessee!
We drove to Tennessee today to drop off the dogs. Tomorrow, we are flying to Hagerstown for the Amway Positivity Project Awards to see if I won the grand prize. If so, I walk away with $10,000, which I will donate to Girls on the Run to form an Operation Beautiful scholarship account for local Charlotte girls. No matter what, I’ll get $2,500 because I’m a finalist. Super exciting!
The drive, however, was not. It was snowy, icy, and dangerous. I was so nervous!
I snacked on an apple:
And a bag of pistachio nuts. It was a nice, healthy surprise at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. :)
By the time we arrived in Knoxville and met up with my mom, I was STARVING. 3 PM and no lunch?! Ugh!
We attempted to go to a bunch of new restaurants, but they were all in ‘between hours’ for lunch and dinner. So we went to an old favorite – The Tomato Head.
We started out of black beans and hummus with blue chips. I am definitely going to make this at home – it was delicious and so simply. Warmed black beans, hummus, and a drizzle of sriracha sauce on top.
I opted for a side salad with my sandwich:
My sandwich was goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, and pesto on a whole wheat bun. It sounded more intriguing to me than it actually tasted.
Mom ordered key lime pie for dessert, and I snagged a few bites.
When we walked out of the restaurant, it was BLIZZARDING! A straight downpour of big, fluffy snowflakes.
We didn’t want to go home quite yet so we stopped into a bar called La Costa and ordered drinks. The Husband and I keep saying we’re on “holiday†and want to drink adult beverages as much as possible. ;) I ordered a Hot Toddy, which I’ve never had before!
Here’s how to make a Hot Toddy (which is rumored to help get rid of congestion and cold symptoms!):
- Hot water + tea bag
- Shot of whiskey
- Two lemons
- 3 cloves
- Cinnamon stick
- Honey
It was so delicious. This might be my new favorite beverage. Plus, I felt extremely fancy-pants ordering one.
The drive home was DANGEROUS! The snow has turned to ice and we slipped and slided all over the road. I hope conditions aren’t too bad at 5:30 AM when we leave for the airport.
Dinner was light since lunch was so late. Homemade soup from mom and a bunch of boiled carrots.
We’re going to open Christmas presents early and stare out at the snow! How’s the weather where you are?
I hope the snow holds off until you get to the airport! For next time, I highly recommend the blood orange margarita at La Costa. SO good!