Americana Idiot

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My other song title option was “Like It Was 1980,” and if you don’t get that reference you are sorely missing out! This week’s dinner theme was Americana/nostalgia. We made Salisbury steak, tuna pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, and chili and grilled cheese sandwiches!

Highlights from the past four days include…

After-school snacks. Apple + peanut butter (I didn’t have mini marshmallows to make smiles!). This was a Sugar Bee apple and it was wonderfully crisp and sweet.

Important note – the Whole Foods unsweetened crunchy peanut butter is wonderful. It is some of the best I’ve ever had and certainly outranks the other options at this price point. Just peanuts and salt.

This week’s yogurt bowl combo was plain skry, blackberries, peanut butter, and Nature’s Path honey almond granola.

Love Corn bbq corn nuts. These have a very satisfying consistency.

Junior Mints minis are fantastic. They are like the popping boba of chocolate candies.

Fun in sparkling waters – Target caffeinated cherry cola and Ruby tart hibiscus. Both were an 8/10.

I had never actually tried Salisbury steak before but I loved it. We loosely followed this recipe but I used ground turkey and way more mushrooms. Plus roasted purple and Japanese sweet potato and zucchini.

I did not use Italian dressing in my tuna pasta though that is how I grew up eating it. Whole-wheat macaroni, canned tuna, roasted zucchini, edamame, extra-sharp cheddar, and balsamic vinegar. Maybe Italian is the way to go though? Adam and I both went back and topped our bowls with hot sauce.

Macaroni and cheese muffins. I used extra-sharp cheddar instead of parmesan and added mustard powder. Plus roasted broccoli.

Plus we had bbq Wilde chicken chips.

Chili = ground turkey, celery, white onion, fire-roasted tomatoes, fire-roasted green chiles, kidney beans, chicken broth, evoo, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. I topped my bowl with plain yogurt and hot sauce. Plus I made amazing grilled cheese sandwiches; the filling was a mixture of extra-sharp cheddar, marinated artichoke hearts, mayo, white pepper, mustard powder, and a pinch of sugar.

Super Travelers

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No post from last week because we were on VACATION! We had the week off and jet-setted to Miami AND Las Vegas. Adam and I had a wonderful time! Some highlights included – tons of Cuban coffees and guava pastries in Miami (shoutout to Chugs Diner for the best of both) / everything at Tam Tam but especially the frozen soursoup daiquiri / a nostalgic trip back to University of Miami campus / catching up with both college and high school friends in FL / my 1st trip to Las Vegas / every coffee at Dig It but especially the dirt cup latte / the mango sticky rice iced latte at Vesta / dinner at Safta capped off with tahini chocolate pie / brunch at Peppermill where the vibes were immaculate and the blueberry muffin was actually my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten / an insane afternoon appreciating the art at Meow Wolf Omega Mart / my 1st trip to the Grand Canyon.

We got back to NY Friday night and I had a couple of days for laundry and errands before work today! Some highlights from the weekend…

Saturday was the Super Troopers’ release date anniversary and we enjoyed a rewatch with some on-theme foods! Chocolate-covered banana (milkshake). Vanilla ice cream, frozen banana, cocoa powder, and a chocolate protein shake.

Cotton candy aka sugar heaven. I could only find this Starburst kind and it ended up being delicious.

Instead of chugging maple syrup with added it to our chicken salad. Chopped baked chicken with celery, candied pecans, mayo, Greek yogurt, vinegar, Cholula, and maple syrup. Served between buttermilk waffles with a side of roasted green cauliflower.

Sunday I had a hair appointment in Brooklyn so I got to do some fun Park Slope things. Iced cappuccino from Velvette Brew.

Banana brown sugar walnut muffin from Simple Loaf Bakehouse (I’ve decided I’m into muffins now!).

And a perfect fried chicken sandwich from Pecking House with duck fat chili oil, Kewpie mayo, bread and butter pickles, and milk bread.

Other things from the weekend include these Yasso ice cream bites which were great.

And a fantastic green smoothie – fresh Sumo mandarin, frozen banana and spinach, matcha tea powder, vanilla protein powder, honey, and water.

What’s With Today, Today

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So many things to celebrate this week, the eclipse and Rex Manning Day were both on Monday. We are on vacation starting tomorrow and I am READY – it took a lot of little treats (TM) to get through this week.

Some highlights…

This week’s yogurt combo – plain skyr, giant blackberries, and cookie dough granola.

I brought this birthday cake drink syrup back from my trip to Kingston. Not bad but too fruit-forward for my tastes. I tried it in iced coffee, iced matcha, lemon seltzer, and diet coke.

Chocolate-covered frozen cheesecake bites (9/10).

Dark chocolate peanut butter bites (10/10). <– I can’t remember where I found these but I would rebuy if I found more.

Our King’s does a fantastic chocolate cake with ganache, marshmallow, and cookie dough (11/10).

A Moon Pie to celebrate the eclipse. All I could find last-minute was a protein bar Power Pie which was actually delicious.

And I, of course, celebrated Rex Manning Day with pizza, brownies, and an Empire Records rewatch.

Roast’s special of the week – brisket, mac and cheese, crispy onions, and bbq sauce on a roll.

Homemade veggie and meatball bowls. Roasted cabbage, baby cauliflower, Japanese sweet potato, and red bell pepper / turkey meatballs with panko, fish sauce, half and half, ginger, urfa chili, gochugaru, and egg / peanut sauce with chunky peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, sesame oil, sugar, and warm water / green onions and sesame seeds.

Gummy Worm Sprinkles

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Weekend things – I worked on Sunday and managed to get home on time / We went on a mall date and I bought new running shoes (the next generation of the Brooks’ Adrenalines) that seem great / We ate champagne mangos that were so juicy and perfect / I ordered a ton of Taco Bell take-out from their new Cantina menu and it was shockingly good!

Highlights…

Still on my yuzu iced matcha spritzer kick. Matcha tea, orange mandarin passionfruit jam, yuzu marmalade, and yuzu mandarin seltzer.

This beautiful sludge was actually a black sesame caramel dirty iced matcha. Matcha, espresso, skim milk, caramel Nut Pods vegan creamer, black sesame paste, and caramel drizzle.

We ate at Shukette last weekend and were sadly/surprisingly underwhelmed but we did have a fantastic dish of labne with candied kumquats and black sesame seeds. Hence this bagel – toasted egg bagel with cream cheese, yuzu marmalade, and sesame seeds. Also the other half with peanut butter, honey, and poppy seed filling.

I have been searching obsessively and I finally found the Dirt Cake Oreos! They are delicious and more importantly they are topped with gummy worm inspired sprinkles!!!

Spicy cold tofu. With roasted zucchini and Trader Joe’s mini chicken and cilantro wontons.

The best nachos I’ve ever made. Adam and I were both swooning! Trader Joe’s plantain crisps / extra-sharp cheddar / chopped baked chicken tossed with bbq sauce / green bell pepper, poblano pepper, baby tomatoes, and scallions sauteed in evoo with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and Jamaican curry powder / homemade guacamole and chipotle lime ranch.

Poppy Plum Puff

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Highlights from an exceptionally yummy week —

This week’s coffee situation was some combination of one-all of these salted caramel things with iced Bones Coffee Jamaican Me Crazy. Also one day I added coconut milk!

Berry smoothie with frozen dark cherries, fresh blueberries, and vanilla protein powder.

Many good yogurt bowls this week. This one was plain skyr with watermelon plum, blueberries, Heritage Flakes, and salted caramel granola.

Plain skyr with plum, poppy seed filling, and orange mandarin passionfruit jam.

Trader Joe’s maple pancake corn puffs are perfectly savory and sweet.

Related – we adore how savory the dough is in these poppy seed cookies.

Turkey-cheese roll up – Lavash bread with smoked turkey, extra-sharp cheddar, garlic hummus, and leftover roasted green beans.

Baked tofu and roasted broccoli with homemade ranch dip (mayo, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and ranch seasoning). The tofu was Trader Joe’s super-firm that I marinated in pickle juice and coated in pulverized potato chips, roasted seaweed, sesame seeds, and panko.

A very loose but tasty take on callaloo made with frozen spinach and broccoli (plus yellow onion, scotch bonnet pepper, ginger, urfa chili, coconut milk, crab, and turkey bacon).

Topped with pickled ginger and this soursop hot sauce from home.

And paired with rum and Coke slushies, my greatest boozy creation.

I made a great rillete (aka fish dip) in the food processor with canned sockeye salmon, smoked trout, mayo, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, chili crisp, smoked paprika, and celery seed. Scooped with orange bell pepper, cucumbers, 12 Tides everything kelp chips, and Trader Joe’s spicy tempura seaweed snacks.

Jalapeño popper turkey burgers (I mixed the cheese in and these were fantastic!), roasted cauliflower, and a big pile of crispy baked fries. Plus an array of dipping sauces (ketchup, a quick honey mustard, and leftover ranch).

Bananas Good

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Five great things from the weekend…

Einspänner coffee from Bunny & Bro.

Smoky and sweet Carolina BBQ vegan jerky.

A bananas good cup of ice cream from Cold Stone. Banana pudding ice cream with bananas, peanut butter, caramel, and graham cracker pie crust.

Very spicy vegan dan dan noodles from Very Fresh Noodles. These wonderfully numbingly spicy hand-pulled noodles are some of the very chewiest (aka best) I’ve ever eaten. I adore how cooling the cucumber salad is with it.

Best meal of the weekend/month – homemade flatbreads. Lavash bread drizzled with olive oil and baked until crispy then topped with extra-sharp cheddar, baked chicken, and marinated artichoke hearts and baked again. We loved it! Plus steamed green beans sauteed with dijon mustard, yellow mustard, maple syrup, Sriracha, and rice vinegar.

Peep This

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No post from me last weekend because I was away in Kingston! My cousin invited me to go with her and some friends for the weekend and we had a fabulous time. I had not seen her since her wedding last summer and it was so good to catch up! Also Kingston is super cute and packed with coffee spots and bakeries — I will be bringing Adam for a day-trip ASAP. And this weekend we are heading to PA to visit Adam’s family for Easter.

Some things I ate between trips…

This Chameleon Cafe Cubano Cold Brew was great. I wasn’t super impressed with the last few bottles I tried from them but this had good body and roastiness.

I found super juicy, ruby colored watermelon plums at Trader Joe’s so obviously my yogurt bowls this week were winners. Plain Greek with plum and salted caramel granola.

Plain Greek with plum, peanut butter, honey, and Heritage Flakes.

I am usually not a snack cake person but these Lidl milk & honey bars were lovely. Maybe I would also like Devil Dogs if they were served cold?

This boring photo is a reminder to myself that hummus makes a great after-work snack.

So much Easter candy!

P.S. Dad – the Brach’s jelly beans were great this year and totally worth buying. There is a grape flavor now!

See also – I infused Peeps into vodka. Served with lemon seltzer and edible glitter.

Dinner date at Youta Ramen. They have the sake jelly drinks!

We shared spicy cucumber salad (Persian cucumber, Serrano lime cilantro sauce, with sesame oil).

And Karaage (deep fried chicken with garlic mayo).

And I got the veggie ramen – truffle veggie broth, maitake, shitake, wood ear tempura, fermented bamboo shoots, and scallion – plus an egg and chili paste.

Brinner wraps. I sauteed Trader Joe’s soyrizo with red onion then scrambled in eggs and extra-sharp cheddar. Wrapped in a TJ’s lavash bread. Plus roasted baby cauliflower.

Sandwich roll-ups on TJ’s whole-wheat lavash – baked honey harissa chicken, roasted garlic hummus, chopped cucumber and yellow bell pepper. Plus a raw bok choy salad with homemade miso vinaigrette (1 Tbsp miso paste whisked with 1 Tbsp warm water until smooth, 1 Tbsp each sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds, 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha, and 3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar).

Best meal of the week was these loaded baked potatoes. I rubbed the potatoes in evoo and salt and baked at 400 for 60 minutes without wrapping in foil and they were perfect. Topped with leftover soyrizo, roasted broccoli and red onion, and extra-sharp cheddar.

Halva Good Time

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Some things from this week…

I celebrated the 1st day of Spring with a Starbucks iced espresso with white chocolate sauce and lavender cold foam.

See also – Trader Joe’s Meyer lemon yogurt. I bulked it up with some plain Greek with halva pecans, blueberries, and blackberries on top.

These Seed + Mill halva-coated pecans are delightful.

Yuzu matcha spritzer because I am a woman obsessed.

Bars on bars. The Barebells one was so creamy!

We pulled the last of our Christmas coffee cake down from the freezer.

Brinner. This cornmeal pancake recipe was a winner. Plus turkey bacon, sumo mandarin, and berries (and, of course, maple syrup!).

Chicken sandwiches – Whole Foods’ Early Bird multi-seed bread, dijon mustard, mayo, brie, and chicken (thin sliced breasts marinated in Greek yogurt, lemon, honey, and harissa, then sauteed). Plus maple tahini broccoli salad (I swapped in dried cherries and roasted pumpkin seeds) and pickles.