Pompeii, Just Two Blocks Away

One of the great things about my apartment's location in Seattle, it is only two blocks away from the Seattle Center. The Seattle Center is a great place for tourist and locals to spend ample amounts of time exploring because it is the park, arts, and entertainment center of Seattle, and of course, the iconic Space Needle is there too. One of the museums located in the Seattle Center is the Pacific Science Center.

The Pacific Science Center is definitely a fun, interactive, and educational destination when visiting Seattle. I took my niece to it, and we spent several hours exploring the museum. Another great option while visiting the Pacific Science Center is catching an IMAX movie; also, some great traveling exhibits circulate through this museum as well. For instance, I saw the traveling King Tut exhibit in 2012, and this year, the traveling exhibit is Pompeii: The Exhibition. I was able to see this exhibit with my mom, who unlike me, hasn't visited Pompeii in Italy. Seattle is the last stop for this exhibit's US traveling tour.

Pompeii: The Exhibition showcases the miraculous artifacts unearthed since the epic eruption about 2,000 years ago. One of the largest collection of body casts ever presented are part of this exhibition. Part of your museum experience will be getting to sit through two videos; one consisting of the history of Pompeii, and the other is a four-minute condensed movie of the three days of Mount Vesuvius continuous eruption. A little history of the city of Pompeii:

• In the year 79, Pompeii vanished beneath thick layers of volcanic ash left by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
• The rediscovery of this city was about 250 years ago.
• Some of the discoveries included garden frescoes, marble statues, helmets, shin guards of Gladiators, coins, religious altars and shrines, jewelry and so much more.

Overall, the exhibit was impressive and just illustrated that nature can be both destructive and restorative at the same time. At the end of the exhibit, there is a room devoted to the volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest. One of the questions pondered is: could what happened to Pompeii happen to Seattle if Mount Rainier ever erupted? The short version answer is no, because when/if it erupts, it will not be erupting the "mud" that Mount Vesuvius erupted. The mud is key to the preservation qualities that helped all the artifacts to remain intact. 

Here are some of the photos and commentary from the exhibit if you didn't get a chance to see the exhibit in your city:

Anchor: This anchor was found southwest of Pompeii, at the mouth of the Sarno River. This object serves as a reminder that 2,000 years ago Pompeii was an important port, a hub for markets and trade throughout the Roman Empire. 

Ptolemy II Philadelphus: ruler of Egypt from 283 BC to 246 BC

I think the middle statue (the one without a nose) looks like Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter in a toga. 

Wine Amphora: The pointed base of this amphora fit snugly on top of another of identical design. This allowed merchants to stack the containers, making for efficient storage and transport. It also enabled shopkeepers to keep the stock they needed to meet the demands of their customers.

Labrum: This marble fountain rests on three legs each in the shape of sphinxes, mythological creatures that were half-human, half-lion. The sphinxes here have bodies that are part-vegetable and end in lion paws. Acanthus leaves wind around the main column. This supports the pipe that connects to the water source.

Cast of Man: The volcanic eruption of Vesuvius is still being studied today. Recent research suggests that many Pompeiians were killed by surges of extreme heat (570 degrees Fahrenheit) resulting in an instantaneous rigor mortis, with bodies frozen in time. This fact would help explain the variety of poignant death postures.  

Statue of Ephebe (Young Man)

Fresco with Dionysus Enthroned 

Gladiator Helmet with Bas-relief Decorations and Shin Guards

Bathtub

Clay Figurine of a Gladiator 

Gold Necklace: This long, thick chain is made up of four strands of gold with delicate links that look like fabric. The pendant is shaped like a crescent moon,  an ancient symbol of Venus, Goddess of Love. The necklace was probably wrapped several times around the neck. 

Head of Gaius Caeser: This bust is thought to depict the 10-year-old Gaius Caeser, grandson of the Emperor Augustus. In an official work commissioned in 13 B.C., the 7-or-8 year-old Gaius Caesar shares the same large face, voluptuous lips, and bangs with dovetail peaks.

Star Wars and the Power of Costume

One of the most visited museums in Seattle, Experience Music Project (EMP), is currently showcasing a traveling exhibit, which is only stopping in 12 cities in the United States. The exhibit is called Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume. The premise behind the exhibit is to allow visitors to explore the creative process behind dressing an entire galaxy of Star Wars characters in a behind-the-scenes look at the most iconic costumes in film history.

I have been to the EMP museum once before, and did not anticipate returning unless an unbelievable exhibit was being showcased; for instance, like a Desserts of the World exhibit or a Gotta Have Coffee exhibit.

My mom is currently visiting me in Seattle; therefore, we are visiting some of my favorite things to do and see in Seattle and the State of Washington. However, my mom learned that this exhibit was being featured during her visit. In other words, I have returned to the EMP (my least favorite museum in Seattle). My Star Wars knowledge comes only from watching the last three movies (only once, and I barely know the main characters' names), the episode of Friends where Rachel dresses up as Princess Leia, Pitch Perfect taught me that "Vader" means "father" in German, and references in The Big Bang Theory episodes.

However....the exhibit was amazing, even if I am not a devoted fan to the saga. Here are some glimpses of the costumes and some information behind the costumes and the movies.

• "In many cases in the film, the actors are working in a blue environment. So the only thing they have that is clue to the environment that they are working with is their costume." -George Lucas
• "Costume is not separate from character design." -Sang Jun Lee, Concept Artist, Episode III
• "For Episode I, I think we made well over a thousand costumes...Couture-level cutters, sewers, dyers and printers, embroiderers, beaders, milliners, leatherworkers, mold makers, sculptors and jewelers used a multitude of techniques to create articles of beauty, or ceremony, or authority, as the occasion demanded." -Trisha Biggar, Costume Designer, Episode I, II, III
• "I was hired to give George Lucas a chance to get as close as he could to the ideal look for htings he had been dreaming about getting into his films....Science fantasy allows me to create realities that have never been seen before...I've done a lot of dreaming in my life--and now I'm getting a chance to put it all to work." -Ralph McQuarrie, Concept Artist, Episode IV, V, VI
• "We didn't look at any films specifically, but had a lot of books, all the books there were on science fiction and science-fiction films, books on World War II, on Vietnam, and on Japanese armor." -John Mollo, Costume Designer, Episode IV, V
• "For the first Star Wars films, I wanted the costumes to be simple but timeless...outfits modeled on the archetypes that audiences would find understandable and familiar." -George Lucas
• "On the prequel trilogy, I knew a different approach was needed...we would be visiting the Republic in its heyday, spending time in the galaxy's lavish capital, and witnessing royalty, opulence, and advanced, albeit sometimes corrupt, civilizations." -George Lucas

Droids
C-3PO and R2-D2

The Stormtrooper
The entire wardrobe budget for the 1977 Star Wars film, produced in England, was $220,000. The costumes that stood out for their cost were the Stormtroopers ($93,000). 

Princes Leia

Chewbacca
 King of the Creatures: George Lucas was trying to do a combination of a monkey, a dog, and a cat.

Emperor, Sith Robes
Darth Sidious, the evil Dark Lord of the Sith who becomes Emperor of the Galactic Empire, wears the instantly recognizable black hooded shape that was established in the first trilogy. Darth Sidious's costume barely changes or develops throughout the saga.

Jedi Robes
Every prinicpal Jedi needed multiple versions of their costume to accommodate wear and tear, and for stunt requirements, doubles, and unexpected problems. During a wet scene, the vintage wool cloak fabric quickly began to shrink and shortened to almost knee level in a matter of minutes. This meant using and running a new cloak for every take.

Padme Amidala, Lake Retreat Dining Gown with Feathered Cape
George Lucas helped designed this leather-corseted gown

Padme Amidala, Lake Retreat Arrival Dress
Is a ombre (layer)-dyed silk chiffon and silk satin dress, held at the neck and arm by hand-cut abalone shell. Concept Designer wanted a dress that "looked as if it would fall off if one sneezed."

Senator in Action
Padme must dress as a Naboo starfighter pilot as a safety precaution. The Geonosis Action Costume, which she wears in the epic arena battle, is perhaps her most iconic costume from Episode II. The costume alludes to the all-white costume that her daughter, Princess Leia, wore in the original films.

Star-Crossed
Behind the seams the finishing touches: the night before the wedding scene was to be filmed, costume designer Trisha Biggar decided the gown needed a little something "extra." So she pulled an all-nighter and pearled Padme's wedding dress herself.

Senatorial Fabrics

Aerial view from the second floor of the exhibit

Aerial view from the second floor of the exhibit

Darth Vader: Iconic Villain
"He's more machine now than man. Twisted and evil." -Obi-wan Kenobi
"Darth Vader became such an icon in the first film, Episode IV, that the icon of evil sort of took over everything."
-George Lucas
George Lucas wanted him to look like a "dark lord riding on the wind" with black flowing robes, a large helmet like that of the Japanese Samurai, and a silk mask covering his face.

Twas the Season for Cherry Blossoms

Spring came early this year to Seattle due to the unseasonably warm "winter"; therefore, cherry blossoms began blooming in February. The season for cherry blossoms has almost concluded but you can still spot a few trees that have blooms left.

One of the greatest displays of cherry blossoms blooming in Seattle is on the University of Washington's campus. The trees surround the entire perimeter of the quad. The trees in the university's quad are over 80 years old. This year, these trees were in full bloom on March 14th. I unfortunately didn't make it til the end of March, but the trees were still beautiful. The grounds were covered will fallen cherry blossom petals. When a gust of wind blew through the trees, the blooms were so fragile, that they were constantly falling, resembling snow.

Every year, it is disheartening when the cherry blossom trees become bare (the magnolia trees become bare about the same time); but then I remember, field of tulips season is just around the corner.

If you are visiting Seattle during the spring, you should definitely head over over to the University of Washington's campus. The campus, even when it's not cherry blossom season, is gorgeous! My favorite building on campus is the Suzzallo Library; the Reading Room is a must-visit destination, and I call it "The Hogwarts Library".

Here are some photos from the cherry blossoms from around Seattle, with an emphasis on University of Washington's trees:

Embracing Your Quirks

Quirks, those peculiar behavioral habits that can make a person more charming or annoying; we all have them. Sometimes others tell you about your quirks, but then sometimes you notice them about yourself too. I am confident enough to acknowledge that I have a lot of quirks, and a lot of them deal with food. I qualify the behaviors in this post as quirks and not compulsions, because I do not experience any anxiety if I cannot enforce the behavior or preference. Listed below are quirks I have noticed about myself:

• I know it's hypocritical, but I think that Raisin Bran needs to double the amount of raisins in their cereal, and Lucky Charms needs to quadruple the number of marshmallows in their cereal or just make a box of Lucky Charms with only marshmallows. For St. Patrick's Day, I poured the entire Family-size box of Lucky Charms on a cookie sheet and separated the marshmallows from the frosted oats, and then I proceeded to just put only the marshmallows in a bowl. Yep, I had an entire bowl of marshmallows for breakfast to celebrate all the Irish Leprechauns in the world.
• I hate grocery shopping. If I am out shopping, it means I am either out of toilet paper, coffee, and/or cookie butter.
• I have bangs for two reasons: to cover up my big forehead, and so I don't have to do the constant upkeep on my Middle Eastern eyebrows.
• Since finding my first and only white hair, my morning routine now includes me going through every hair follicle looking for the possible "two new white hairs"that grew when I pulled that one white hair out....thankfully, there seems to be no survivors.
• One of my favorite "homemade" desserts is cinnamon and sugar toast.
• I eat dill pickles straight out of the jar like someone eating potato chips out of a bag.
• I will immediately heat up my black coffee in the microwave the moment it goes from hot to warm. Warm coffee is gross and cold coffee should be outlawed.
• I was the kid that got excited at trick-or-treating when I got a miniature box of Sun-maid raisins. Those four raisins in the box were more delicious than any chocolate candy bar... yuck chocolate!
• My crossword puzzle solving method: I always do them in pencil. I do all the clues I know (which usually isn't that many). Then I begin googling clues that I know will have a concrete/specific answer, and fill them into the puzzle. Then I try to work off those letters. Repeat that process as much as I can, and then I full on cheat and look at the answer key for the puzzle.
• I absolutely judge books by their cover.
• The TV shows that I tend to watch, showcase their characters eating take-out in a lot of scenes (i.e. Big Bang Theory, Friends, Gilmore Girls); therefore, there's always pizza and frozen chinese meals in my freezer.
• I am rarely on Facebook (more of an Instagram user), but when I read an article or watch a video that I like, I share it on my newsfeed so I can go back and enjoy it again in the future.
• I find cellphone alerts/ringers to be one of the worst  and annoying sounds in the world; therefore, I have always had my cell phone on silent/vibrate.
• When I am sick, all I want to do is watch animation movies, especially Disney and Pixar movies.
• I have been recycling my entire life, and Seattle has mandatory recycling and composting laws. I am horrible at rinsing out jars before placing them in recycling. It's the only part of recycling that I cannot fully commit to.
• I haven't washed or vacuumed my car since moving to Seattle in 2012, but probably I would be only to know this, because the only thing you will find in my car is empty water bottles and mud from hiking trips. And of course, the rainfall in Seattle provides "nature's" car wash. I feel that my "green" approach to my car maintenance absolutely makes up for me not rinsing out my jars completely before I put them in recycling.
• I have been guilty of eating cereal for every meal of the same day on multiple occasions.
• I mostly walk everywhere in Seattle and I live downtown; therefore, dealing with tourist are a part of my commute. I absolutely judge tourist on what they take pictures of and what they think is appropriate footwear to wear in Seattle. 
• I binge-read books, especially if it is a book series; therefore, I made a rule for myself that I cannot start a new novel after 8pm, because I won't stop til I finish it. P.S. I never follow my own rules; it's good thing that I am a functional insomniac.
• Food logic: Skittles and Starburst absolutely qualify as part of my fruit servings for the day. Newest fruit addiction are mini Starburst.
• I get pretty excited when I throw away my old toothbrush and I get to use a new one.
• The ratio of my pants that are elastic to nonelastic pants (i.e. jeans, dress pants) is 10:1, and I am not ashamed of this fact; I bet I am more comfortable in my outfit than you. 
• I absolutely love desserts. I have been known to make entire meals of just dessert items. For me, ice cream is my least favorite dessert, and a pint of ice cream can last me an entire year. 
• I am an incessant fidgeter; I am constantly moving my hands.
• I do not like ice in my drinks, but I do like my beverages to be cold (just not my coffee).
• When I see an actor/actress in a movie/TV show that looks familiar, I have to figure out what else I have seen them in; otherwise, it will bother me.
• I prefer shoes that do not have shoelaces.
• I never use arm rests; I always have my arms/hands in my lap when sitting on a plane or in a theater...you are welcome person who sits next to me in the middle seat on a Southwest plane. 

Smitten Kitchen Part IV

The best cookbook investment that I have ever made is the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Recently I have learned that a second cookbook is going to be released soon, which I am overjoyed about this news! This posting displays my continuation of trying to cook every recipe in the cookbook. There are so many reasons I utilize and enjoy this cookbook so much:

• All the dry ingredients are measured in grams, which allows for precision. 
• Overall, the recipes do not require too fancy of ingredients or kitchen gadgets.
• If I follow the directions correctly, the recipes have come out as expected and delicious.
• Not only is the author a great cook, she has a comical writing style that is prevalent in her cookbook.
• Not only are her amazing recipes found in this cookbook, she has a blog she updates weekly. I also follow her Instagram account and the pictures are absolutely mouthwatering and where I learned that she is working on her second cookbook.
• Every recipe in the Smitten Kitchen cookbook has at least a picture of the finished product, and most times there are more pictures.

Gingerbread Spice Dutch Baby

Breakfast has always been the most overlooked and skipped meal of the day for me, and yes, I know it’s considered “the most important meal of the day.” I consider the breakfast of champions to be multiple cups of coffee and either some dried fruit or a cereal bar. However, when I am home visiting my parents, I tend to try some breakfast recipes out since my parents are breakfast-dependent.  I tried the Gingerbread Dutch Baby recipe with a few changes because of the ingredients available at my parents’ house. I used light brown sugar (instead of dark), ground nutmeg (instead of fresh), and skim milk (instead of whole milk). In addition, I used leftover, homemade strawberry whipped cream (leftover from Strawberry Cheesecake Fools recipe, which is also below) as a topping instead of the other suggestions (confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup). I absolutely love cooking with cast iron skillets and they cooked this dutch baby very evenly.  From the picture in the cookbook, the dutch baby looked much lighter in weight and color; the one I cooked seemed to be more dense and darker, but it tasted delicious.

Finished product with strawberry whipped cream (top left), baked dutch babies (top right), and uncooked dutch babies ready for the oven (bottom)

Potato Frittata with Feta and Scallions

Before I began this recipe, I scanned the ingredients and wondered why this was a frittata and not a quiche; then I realized, I didn’t know the difference between the two egg dishes (frittata vs. quiche). I did some research and this is what I have concluded: both are egg dishes with additional ingredients ranging from herbs, cheeses, vegetables, and meats. A quiche, is made by adding ingredients to a dish with a crust, and it also contains heavy cream and/or milk. Whereas, a frittata, has no crust and a little (if any) milk/cream, and it is first cooked on a stovetop and then is broiled in the oven. I followed this recipe completely; however, I divided the recipe in half (one with bacon and one just vegetarian), and since I do not eat pork, I substituted bacon for turkey bacon. This frittata was very delicious fresh out of the oven. I had some as leftover, and the only thing affected the quality as a leftover was the potatoes; they were no longer crispy and were a little tough for me (I warmed up the leftover frittata in the microwave). Most likely if you were to make this recipe, there wouldn’t be leftovers, so no need to worry about “tough” potatoes.  I used Yukon Gold potatoes as the recipe indicated, but I also think fingerling potatoes would be appropriate for this dish and hold up well.

Baked potato bottom

Uncooked turkey bacon ingredients

Uncooked frittatas with egg mixture added

Puffy baked frittatas

The layers of the baked turkey bacon frittata

Broccoli Rabe Panini with Mozzarella

I have a bunch of small appliances that cannot fit into my kitchen and are put into a hallway closet, and a Panini Grill is one of them.  I do not use a Panini grill that often, but when a recipe recommends using one, I will definitely dust mine off. This was the first time that I used a grill in this Seattle apartment, and I learned that plugging the Panini Grill into the same socket as my microwave and toaster will cause it short-circuit, and so I ended up cooking it on the carpet of my living room, and yes I am sure it made me look ridiculous. However, the ridiculousness of the situation was well worth it because this combination of ingredients was beyond scrumptious! Although there are so few of ingredients, they merry so well, that I continued to make sandwiches throughout the week to finish off the leftover ingredients. I ended of making this recipe two ways, because my friend has a onion allergy.

Cooked and raw ingredients-ready to be assembled into a sandwich

Cooked sandwich with onions

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

There are three baked items that I am usually too lazy to make, bread, pie crusts, and pizza dough.  However, I have been wanting to make this galette for a while, and finally got around to doing while home for Thanksgiving. My parents bought a bunch of butternut and spaghetti squash from the Amish; I think butternut squashes are one of the worst things to have to cut, and I almost lose my fingers about hundred times while trying to de-skin them. When I am in Seattle, I always buy the precut squash and am more than willing to pay more money for that service. My parents do not have a digital scale (all dry ingredients in the Smitten Kitchen cookbook are in grams), so I was nervous that the crust was going to be too dry or dense. The crust ended up being very crumbling and fell apart really easily; however, in the end it tasted absolutely fine. In small town America, there was not fontina in the grocery store, so mozzarella cheese was substituted. The finished product was beyond savory and was still delectable five days later. The crust exceeded my expectations. My parents asked me to make a few extra crusts for them to freeze and use at a later time; it was that big of a hit.

Imperfect flaky crust

Crust plus the cooked savory filling

Such "professional" crust folding technique

Golden brown perfection

Cheesey goodness

Look at all those onions...yum!

Tomato-Glazed Meatloaves

I have never liked meatloaf, never ever. I have never found a recipe that I liked or could finish eating. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook has continuously delivered mouthwatering recipes, but I firmly believed that even the author couldn’t sway my abhorrence towards meatloaf. I waited to try this recipe when my family was together, so I could just try a small bite.  I had to split the recipe in half, with one half using halal meat and the other using ground beef from the store. The verdict: I still do not like meatloaf. Although this recipe had a different spice mixture than the typical meatloaf, I still did not care for it. Everyone else loved it. They thought the glaze was delicious and indicated that the recipe could have had a more sauce.

Raw meatloaf meatballs (some with and some without sauce)

Cooked meatloaf meatballs 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I have been called odd by friends because I really do not like chocolate; I can usually eat something with a little chocolate without cringing but I really try to avoid eating it.  Therefore, I had been putting off making this recipe until there could be others that could eat the cookies too. In addition, to my dislike of chocolate, I have a slight peanut sensitivity (it use to be a full-blown allergy); my sister is still highly allergic. Therefore,  this recipe was made at Christmas time with a huge sign advertising for my sister to NOT eat them. My niece and I chose to slice the cookies from the log instead of rolling out the cookies and using a cutter. Everyone liked the chocolate filling. I ended up eating up one cookie (chocolate filling and all), and that concluded my chocolate quota for the rest of the year.

Assembled baked cookies

Mom’s Apple Cake

The biggest hit last year from this cookbook was this recipe; I made it once at Thanksgiving and the other at Christmas. I followed the recipe exactly as written for Thanksgiving, but then for the Christmas cake, I substituted the cup of oil for a cup of applesauce. The verdict of the substitution: it was still amazingly delicious and it was still very moist. With nut allergies and sensitivities in the Hossein family, both times I did not put in walnuts. The first time I made the recipe at Thanksgiving, I put the batter in an Angel Food cake pan because that was the only “tube pan” my parents had at their house. It was an absolute nightmare, trying to get the cake out of the Angel Food Cake pan, but thankfully, it came out in one piece. For the second time I made the recipe, I divided the batter into two round cake pans, and it was definitely my preferred method when I make this cake again, and I am sure I will!

Baked apple cake using the Angel Food pan

Strawberry Cheesecake Fools

This was such a simple and delicious recipe that aesthetically looked great during the holidays.  For the cookie crumble, cinnamon and sugar graham crackers were used instead of whole wheat crackers; therefore, no additionally brown sugar or cinnamon were used. My niece was almost able to make this entire recipe by herself, with me supervising her when cutting the strawberries (had to make sure she would still have all ten fingers when she was done cutting).

Layered desserts are the best

Baked Potato Crisps with the Works

This was another recipe that was perfect for the holidays and my niece was almost able to complete independently. Who doesn’t love reinventing baked potatoes? We followed this recipe completely, except substituting turkey bacon for regular bacon since we do not eat pork. If you have the patience and time for this recipe, it is worth it, and you definitely will not have leftovers.  

Loaded with toasted cheese, sour cream, turkey bacon, and chives

Homage to Trader Joe's

The newest cookie butter infused item

It is hard for me to imagine that three years ago, I had never step foot in a Trader Joe's. My friends from graduate school gushed about Trader Joe's; I was a loyal Whole Foods shopper and couldn't understand the appeal. The Trader Joe's in Omaha was the size of a gas station (okay, maybe it was slightly bigger),  and I made a superficial judgement that Trader Joe's just couldn't be for me, because there was no way I was going to be able to get all my groceries from this one teeny, tiny store; my time was too valuable to have to run all over Omaha to gather my groceries.

Fast-forward, three years to Seattle, and my perspective about Trader Joe's has done a complete 360. I have given some deep-thought about what I would do if TJ (our relationship runs so deep, a nickname is required) went bankrupt and disappeared from my existence, and nothing positive comes from this reflection:

• I would definitely starve. I love cooking but when I do cook, I usually hunker down in my kitchen and cook something elaborate; therefore, I rely on TJ to keep me fed on semi-assembled, easily prep food during the weekdays. Most days, the only thing I use my stove for is to boil water for French Press brewed coffee. 
• I would go through cookie butter withdraw, no doubt. Hi, my name is Shaida, and I am addicted to cookie butter. How did I live for 25 years without someone trying to get me addicted to cookie butter...where was that peer pressure that everyone talks about?? My favorite is the creamy cookie butter. It's my favorite thing to put on sandwich bread and take as hiking food; but technically, any day ending in -y is a good day for cookie butter. It's my new peanut butter in a way; meaning that I will just eat in straight out of the jar, with a spoon, of course. A recent trip to TJ, I saw that one of their new items was "Cookie Butter Sandwich Cookies." It's safe to say that half of box of these cookies disappeared while I was fixing dinner (AKA me warming up food in the microwave), and I don't expect the other half of the box to have a very long lifespan.
• There would be no way for me to continue eating a mostly vegetarian lifestyle. I probably only eat meat for 2-3 meals a week (I get most of my protein from cookie butter and eggs). I have become beyond obsessed with all the hummus choices, frozen mac & cheese (I will even eat their less guilty/lite mac & cheese), fresh veggies, soups (their lentil soup is beyond amazing), edamame crackers, dried fruits (to accompany my cookie butter sandwiches when I hike), and salsas.
• Demo-ing deprivation would be a novel, but real DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) condition that I would have to endure. Who doesn't love food samples?!?! And not only does TJ have food samples but they always have coffee demoing as well. My blood type is coffee. So many scrumptious food items have ended up being in my kitchen because they were irresistible once I tried them at TJ's demoing station.
• The loss of TJ in pop-culture. Aziz Ansari's Park and Recreation character, Tom, put TJ on the map by referencing their Chicken Parmesan as Chicky Chicky Parm-Parm. 
• The holidays would be a little depressing. Some of my favorite items at TJ are seasonal, and a majority of them are in rotation from October-December. This is my favorite time of the year to receive the Frequent Flyer newsletter in the mail, and I highlight all the items I want and go into TJ with a game plan, so I don't forget any of the items. Some of my favorite items are the turkey sausage stuffing, pumpkin-spice coffee, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin butter, pumpkin bagels, and pumpkin cream cheese (it taste just like Texas Roadhouses' cinnamon butter). If you couldn't tell, I like just about everything that comes in pumpkin flavored.