Free Review! Paragon Cafe Story.

Now that I have your attention.
Free review time!

As many of you know, or should, if you are following this blog, I'm pregnant.
Along with pregnancy comes some interesting new relationships with food. I used to be a huge carnivore. Meat and potatoes kind of girl. It worked well, as my husband is also a carnivore. (Though he will undoubtedly point out that we are omnivores and have a wide range of likes about food and la dee da - Science.) I used to say, and often, that if the plate didn't have meat on it then it was a snack and not a meal.
Oh, how times have changed. Along with some very interesting food cravings (see Cravings - A Fruity Story post, coming soon) I got some interesting food aversions to go along with them. The worst aversion to food that I got because of pregnancy is the aversion to meat.
Anything meat bothers me now. I miss it. But the thought of meat makes me mentally see oil and fat and just gross. I can't take it. If I could, I would cut meat out of my diet completely for the next 20 weeks or so. But I'm low on that iron, so I need it more than ever.
Wailing on about my food woes is not the point of this post. The point is that I found a place where the meat is just as wonderful as I remember.
On a bad day where I was not going to cook (bad Domestic Goddess!) and knew I really needed meat, Lovely reminded me that I hadn't had any all week, we decided to try a new-for-us place in town. It had great, if not numerous reviews. I hadn't had a single friend I knew personally that had eaten there.
It was a mystery. A food mystery. We had to go to that side of town for reasons that day anyway, so we decided to give it a try.
The Paragon Cafe is in a hospital. It is the hospital's food source. Many of you are probably already leaning back away from your screens at just the thought. Hospital food creates images of separated gelatinous fear and unidentifiable solids. Bare with me.
The hospital in this town is geared almost entirely on the Maternity Ward. Yes, they have emergency care and ICU and all sorts of things, but this is Baby Central. We live in a high concentration of LDS and university students. And the only thing the LDS community are better at than making internet memes is making babies. So the Maternity Ward is the nicest thing you have ever seen. Think first class for hospitals.
Well, with a nice Maternity Ward comes a freak-ton of hungry postnatal Mommas. You would be hungry too after the work out of an all-nighter labor and delivery. So, the hospital determined that feeding these postnatal bellies should be a high priority. And I'm so glad they did. (Not only because we are having our baby here.)
The Hospital has hallways that don't feel creepy and medical. While we were walking towards the Cafe, following very well placed and easy to read signs, Lovely and I both commented that this didn't feel like a hospital. Yes, everything was cleaned within an inch of it's life, but it didn't have that sterile to the point of dead feeling. It felt and looked like we were in a nice hotel. Which is a much better association than hospitals, if you ask me.
We made it to the Paragon Cafe, and I was a bit shocked. I was expecting a hole in the wall vending machine and paltry grill type of situation. There were not very many reviews that I could find on the place. That usually means word hasn't gotten out, either because it was bad food, service, or just inconvenient to eat there. Paragon was none of those things.
The tables were very clean, well placed, and each had a small vase of fresh flowers on them. We felt them. They were real, and not even starting to wilt. There was plenty of light, both artificial, and coming from windows all along the room. It felt like a nice sit down place that we currently can't afford.
Surprised, but willing to at least look at the options, we went through to the food area.
(We have been known to go into places, and even sit down, but leave if the prices are too high. We are foodies, but we are frugal.)
The food area is unique. It is set up so all the seating is surrounding the area on three sides, separated by walls. There was not a lot of space dedicated to the food area, but they used their square footage well. There is a full salad bar. And I mean full. Anything you could want on a salad, and all items not touching. I inspected, not a single green was browning or wilted. All fresh.
There was a fountain drink machine, of course. Also a smaller version for what I like to call funny-water. Those energy/nutrient induced waters. There was a coffee machine, with hot cocoa packets next to it if people would prefer hot chocolate to coffee. (Which, in this town, is a pretty good bet.)
There was even an ice cream soft serve machine. With cup or cone options.
We were interested in meat, though. I needs it, and I needed to find a place it town that I could eat it. Anything greasy was out for sure, so I haven't wanted much of any fast food options, but as it was in a hospital I figured they would at least not deep fat fry style the food.
The Grill options were amazing. Not only did they have daily specials, but the prices are just beautiful. We are nearing broke, so are being careful. They had a chicken wrap that I was at once wanting. It was only 3.99. I ordered that, and Lovely grabbed a chicken sandwich. (In his usual style he asked the person working what their favorite things was and ordered that. It worked out this time.) He also grabbed a Guava drink, and I grabbed a candy bar to share for dessert.
The whole side wall was just bottled drinks, by the way. Everything from milk, chocolate milk, guava, to ginger beer. With all the normal sodas in between. It was a cooled fridge wall, and they even had muffins and cheese sticks in there. Cool.
The center area in the middle of all this had desserts. From pie, to cheesecakes, to fruit bowls, to I don't know what it was but it looked delicious. (You have come across those desserts before, don't kid yourself) It was very exciting, but I stuck with my little candy bar.
The system the Paragon Cafe used was a little different. The Grill master, as I will now deem him, printed off a tiny reciept of what we ordered at the grill. As he made it fresh, as is their way, we grabbed what ever else we wanted and headed to the little register at the corner wall divider from the seating. A very cheerful woman then scanned the receipt and our drink and candy, then said that any of the tables would hear our number being called very clearly, so we were welcome to sit down and be comfortable.
Oh, and that chicken wrap, sandwich, guava soda, and candy bar. It all came to about 11 dollars. I was giddy.
We sat down by a window. The wait wasn't long, but enough time to know the food was being made, not reheated. Then our number was called on the oversound.
Because the bill was so small, and they didn't have any pictures to illustrate the foods, we were expecting the portions to be fair if not small. 3.99 for a chicken wrap that includes chicken, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and ranch is a fantastic price, but usually means it might be the size of my handspan. Which isn't all bad, as I can't eat as much anymore with baby taking up all the tummy real estate.
The portions were huge. The wrap was as tall as my face. I needed two hands just to lift it. Very pleased. So pleased. And it was hot enough that even I had to wait before digging in. Lovely's sandwich was equally as huge. Fresh bun with chicken bigger than bun. He was chuckling with glee.
And they didn't skimp on any ingredients. You know those places that make big burritos but it is really all just filler? Not the deal here. The wrap was mostly chicken and bacon. Cheese plentiful. Good amount of lettuce without being a salad wrap. And you could taste the ranch in every bite without having to slurp.
I was so pleased. But then it was the test. Would I be able to eat the meats? Oily is my enemy, and bacon has a bad habit.
It was perfect. It wasn't greasy at all. Moist and hot and fresh, but I didn't feel like I was eating meat flavored oil bites, which had been what my mind thought with all food lately.
The wrap was huge. And I hadn't been able to eat more than about a yogurt cup lately before having to stop.
I nearly finished that wrap. While nearly doesn't seem that impressive, it was a huge achievement for me. Lovely polished off his sandwich with only a slight pause to let me try a bite (true love) and was happy to finish off my wrap for me as well. So yummy.
By the time we were done with those, we were almost too full to eat the candy bar for dessert.
It was a Carmello. Four tiny squares of chocolate and caramel. But we would have saved it for later, except it is blistering hot and wouldn't have even made it to the car without turning into a puddle of sticky at the bottom of my purse. So we each had two squares.
And we were content, satisfied, and full for the rest of the day.
I five starred Paragon Cafe at every place I could think to review when I got home.

You might have notice the picture at the top of this post is of neither a chicken wrap or a chicken sandwich. Well, it is because we were so excited about the place and the food and the yumminess, that I forgot to take a picture. Yes, I'm that person that Instagrams her food.
So I arm twisted (More like hand-held) My Lovely into going back to Paragon Cafe again. Because I needed more meat in my diet, and it had been the only place we found that didn't turn my stomach. And I was sure to order a burger, something I haven't been able to touch since pregnancy hit, and actually snap a picture this time.
That above is a simple bacon cheeseburger there. 4.95 after tax - I checked the receipt. And I was half way through it before realizing I had forgotten to put any sauces on it. No mayo, ketchup, or mustard. And I hadn't even noticed because it was so juicy. They didn't skimp on pickles (five circle slices) or tomatoes (Two thick slices) which is my usual frustration. Plenty of fresh lettuce as well, to the point that I didn't put it all on. And they give it to you open faced, so you can put on the toppings, or not, as you please.
That time Lovely had grabbed the chicken wrap because he liked the taste of mine he got from last visit. I couldn't get a picture because he isn't the Instagram kind and was too busy actually eating his food. (I know - weird. ;) right?)
We are very pleased. And I'm already wanting to go back.

I was not asked to give this review. I was not paid anything for the review (who is gonna pay this little blog for my rambling sassy thoughts?). But I love this place, and you should go and eat there.
And I'm suddenly craving Paragon Cafe so hard.

Smile Always.

Story of the Gender Reveal!

Story of the Ultrasound and Gender Reveal.
I knew we were going to have to do the Gender Reveal as soon as possible after the Level 2 Ultrasound that would tell us girl or boy.
One, because finals are here and we have a lot on our plates.
Second, because I can't keep good news a secret to save my life, and if we didn't have a reveal soon I would just end up blurting it out to everyone and the reveal wouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
So, to start things off:

It's a BOY!!!

So, if you didn't know, I was more than excited for this ultrasound. Not only because it would tell us the gender, but also to show us that Spawn was healthy and growing properly. I had been losing weight during this pregnancy.
While people seem to think this is amazing and convenient that I can lose weight, that baby is taking it, and it is just all good, I didn't feel this way. I in no way wanted to pack on the pounds, but a slow and steady weight gain is one of the first signs that baby is growing and healthy before you can feel any kicks. I had lost 12 pounds, and I was worried that Spawn wasn't getting the nutrients he needs.
I felt like a failure already whenever someone would say I'm so tiny, or that I couldn't possibly be half way along. I felt like they were saying I was starving my baby or something. I know they didn't mean it that way, but I was so worried already that baby wasn't big enough.
The ultrasound was my dear hope that I would be proved wrong and Spawn was fine and happy and growing.
It did that. Not only is our boy (which he was more than happy to show us in the second shot) right where he should be weight wise, but he is a mover.
I hadn't felt anything I could identify as kicks yet. Because I didn't know what they felt like. There were moments in my worst state of worrying that I thought baby must be too small or too weak to move. I was 19 weeks with nothing I could identify as baby and not gas.
Turns out, the placenta is anterior, between baby and belly, so that is why I couldn't feel him whirling around. The ultrasound showed us that moving is really not his issue.
We were late getting in to see the ultrasound. Half an hour in the waiting room became me as a ball of nerves, and my Lovely being able to identify every fish in the tank next to us, and how it ate. (He always goes to 'say hi' to the fish when we see the doctor.)
When we were allowed in and the pictures turned on, we could see the baby immediately. Compared to the first ultrasound where he looked more like a gummy bear or some type of tiny sea creature, now he seemed huge in comparison. And while he is only the size of certain fruits for now and weeks to come, he certainly has all the proportions of human. Except for still being skinny, he looked like a normal baby to me. I was/am thrilled.
With gender out of the way almost at once, we then got to take all the cute pictures while the Ultrasound Tech tried to get the pictures of all his bones, organs, and such that she needed.
He decided to be contrary.
We were in the room for well over an hour. Because no matter which angle the Tech tried, or how she had me toss and turn, even her shaking my belly quite hard to encourage the little guy to get to a position she needed, our baby boy was determined to only show her his feet and or rump. With some really nice profiles thrown in.
She would find a good angle, and then he would immediately roll, twist, or somersault away.
After an hour prodding and pushing on my belly, having me change positions every which way, and serious shaking, my belly was sore from the abuse and the Tech was about to throw in the towel and have us come back another day for the last few things.
It was then, of course, that the Womb Nugget got tired of the game and got with the program. We finished up, and headed into another room to get poked for blood tests, and talk with the Doctor.
The Nurse Practitioner that drew my blood is amazing. Or, as my Lovely said, a ninja. I didn't feel the needle go in at all, and she was finished and left the room before we knew it. Lovely didn't even see her go. Ninja.
The Doctor was pleased with the progress. I had gained two pounds since the last visit over and month before. It wasn't leaps and bounds, but it was on the right track (nevermind the huge breakfast I had that morning or that I was on my fifth liter-sized water bottle for the day. Meh. I'll take the praise). Baby is in the 43rd percentile, he told us. Which is right on the bell of the curve that he likes to see. He assured us that they would call if the blood tests showed anything unusual, but no news was good news. Then we just clarified some things and were on our way.
Because I was so mentally involved with everything, I hadn't realized that it had been much longer than we had been expecting to take. And we had to prep for a photo shoot with Sissy Poo. And I was Hungry!
So we flew through the store to grab the right paint color and supplies we needed for the reveal, grabbed some fruit for me to devoer, and a parfeit for the Lovely, and rushed home to meet Sissy Poo and get the picture.
Of course, I was so frazzled at that point, and very distracted with joy of healthy baby, that I made some mistakes.
We weren't prepared all the way when Sissy Poo came over. I wanted to surprise her with the gender reveal, because she was going to be the only one there. We were still in set up. So I showed her the ultrasound photos while we got things ready.
Then, in my brain fog (pregnancy brain is a real thing, people) I sprayed a sealant over the canvas we were going to use. So it was sealed. And defeated the purpose of canvas, which is to soak up paint. Silly me. Luckily I had a back up.
We were going to do dart painting. And did so, but the sealed canvas just washed it all off, so we were not dart painting at that point, and grabbed a squirt bottle for the paint and had Lovely just attack the second canvas. Because we needed a picture, and Sissy Poo had a paper to write.
So, we ended with the above. Me without makeup and frazzled. Lovely half asleep after the long day I put him through. And yet Sissy Poo is that good that I think that may be the best picture of me since my wedding. We just look happy. And her skills somehow hid the crazy of the day. Love her.
Then, of course, I contacted the family and told them the good news as I uploaded the photo. (When Sissy Poo was done editing, of course)
Then we were so tired that we ordered a pizza and Lovely fell asleep with I social media'd my way through another hour before falling asleep as well.
So, there you have it. Healthy baby. My fears abated. And a rather nice photo to show the interwebs.
And here is a bonus of our little guy.

Smile Always.

Story of the Final Trick

“As you can see, there is nothing up my sleeves!” The loud man barely plucked at his sleeves, showing a scant amount of wrist. The beautiful assistant felt his arms, somewhat too adoringly, and nodded to the packed seats.

Florence didn’t particularly like that. Sitting to the side of the stage where it would be hard for her little sister to see her, what with those bright lights pointed right at her cleavage for viewer’s pleasure, Florence picked up her drink. In the guise of taking a sip, she instead blew softly on the liquid.

The oils that had been added to the alcohol moved just slightly. As they did, the tall man on stage spread his arms wide to show the rapt audience the card he had summoned.

As his arms dropped, nearly a pound of cards fell from his sleeves. All of them that summoned card’s same designation. They sprayed all over the stage, making guests chuckled nervously as they tried to understand if it was a joke or not.

The beautiful assistant started squinting past the lights at the crowd. As her boyfriend looked about in a panic, the back of his badly made top hat had more of those cards tucked in the hem. The crowd of fancy guests were now more focused on the show than the dinner in front of them. They laughed loudly at what must now surely be a joke.

“Apologies!” He tried to recover. “Sometimes my magic is a little more potent than expected!” He sounded slightly nervous to Florence.

At his gesture, his assistant walked towards the front of the stage, arms wide to garner all the attention, as he brushed off all the cards he could find and mentally tried to focus on the next trick. Coming to join her at the front of the stage while his back stage crew tried to sweep the offending cards from behind them, the magician pulled off his top hat and showed the empty interior to the crowd of now very interested patrons.

He then reached in to pull out the expected rabbit.

Florence delicately swirled her drink.

His hand came back with a white, fluffy, cat. The feline was beautiful and about the right size, but as it let out a very loud meow, certainly not a rabbit. The dinner guests laughed and cheered the magician, none of them seeing the concerned look he passed his assistant. She returned the look, somewhat sheepishly.

Then the large white cat gave a mighty sneeze, and became a snowy owl in an explosion of feathers and fur. The audience was loud in its applause.

Stage hands were already rushing forward to take the owl. All of them looked a little pale. They certainly weren’t expected the change in the program, and all of them knew that they hadn’t set up the changes in the tricks.

As one took the owl, another handed the magician a very large cape of bright fabric the size of a man. Florence could see that he gave a very curt command and perhaps threat to the poor helper.

“For my last trick!” He attempted to guide the audience again as a visible sweat started down his face. “I will now make my lovely assistant disappear!”

Florence noticed that his voice cracked just slightly on that last word. Understandably. He had no way of knowing what would change on this last stunt.

The magician took his assistant’s hand and motioned for her to turn. It was as if to show the guests that she didn’t have anything on her she was hiding to aid the trick. Really, it showed all the angles of her very scantily clad form. Some men whistled.

Then she gave a pose as the magician covered her from view to the audience. He said some very fancy words of nonsense as he shook the red fabric dramatically.

Florence took a sip of her altered drink.

When the red fabric fell, Florence blinked out past the lights of the stage that were brighter than she had expected. The rush from the drink and magic made it very believable that she was confused, a subject of the audience, still on her dining chair with her drink in hand, now suddenly on the stage and the center of focus.

The dinner guests roared with approval. They thumped the tables and raised their glasses and spoke among themselves so loudly that it was certain that the story of the magician’s incredible show would be the story in all the papers by morning.

Florence stood up, trying to look embarrassed and pleased.

With little else he could do than pretend it was all intended, the magician stood next to her and tried contain his shaking. As was custom with assistants and female guests, he went to kiss her cheek.

She made careful that her face was on the opposite side of the cheering guests.

She spoke clearly in his ear as he leaned in close.

“You sneak about behind my sister’s back again, it is you that is going to be disappearing. Permanently.”

When he pulled away, the now famous magician looked pale as a death bed and smelled of a nervous sweat. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he now understood his position perfectly.

“Florence!” Came the barely contained hiss from across the room.

Stage lights turned to show the lovely assistant standing on one of the few tables unoccupied at the back of the room. The room was then so loud and breathless with their approval at her return that Florence couldn’t possibly hear whatever would have been said next. She left the stage confident that her message was received in all clarity.

*

I hope you liked the story.

I also write under the name Katty Jay, in case any of you would be interested in finding any more of my work.

Smile Always.