What I'm Loving Wednesday -- Birthday Edition

Well, tomorrow I turn 24. For some reason, 24 feels quite a bit older than 23. Perhaps that's because I'm just so much more wise and experienced now. (Do you hear that Mom?) Anyway, here's what I'm loving today. 

1. My awesome boyfriend.  Goose Creek was up for restaurant review last night in my Patch.com rounds. No one wanted to drive to try this cute little Cuban place with me. For awhile, it looked like I'd be dining solo. My boyfriend volunteered to be my date as well as my passenger seat navigator. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed when we got there. Closed for business permanently, in fact, but the fact that he, a non-foodie, volunteered to try something that wasn't exactly within his comfort zone earned him major brownie points.

The candy bar is actually called "Annabelle's Big Hunk" 

2. Trader Joe's. Currently can't get enough of:

Barbeque Popped Potato Chips: not baked or fried these babies are the perfect substitute for BBQ potato chips!

I'm a sucker for Indian food. This curried eggplant is very flavorful, addictive and totally vegetarian.

Chile and Garlic Edamame are little healthy flavor bombs. A nice break from the normal sea salt edamame pods.

3. This photograph was taken during my roommate's birthday. I'm being fed a baked yam. Who knew an iPhone camera could make this happen? (We're thinking it was the simultaneous taking of two photos-- one with a flash and one without that caused this.)

4. Emma, who has become more and more like my own dog. She spent Thanksgiving with me and my family this year. She's so sweet and a total ham-- what's not to love?