Seriously, why is it so chilly still??  Over the weekend I dry cleaned our winter coats, packed up our sweaters, swapped boots for sandals, etc, etc, and then Monday morning it was a balmy 30 degrees.

Freezer-burn aside, I had quite a nice week!  Tuesday I took a personal day to spend time with Adam post-call and we tried some yummy spots in Bayside.  And I’m off again today because I work this weekend.

Here were the highlights from the week…

Chocolate glazed doughnut (from Dough) and a maple iced latte at Browny.

Juicy watermelon wonder kombucha.

Chia pudding.  Chia seeds / skim milk / maple syrup / vanilla bean powder / sliced banana.

Peanuts are my favorite snack at the moment.

Dinner out at Maria’s Mediterranean.  We got some complimentary bites to start, including the best olives I’ve ever tasted.

Plus we ordered the chips and dip – housemade pita chips with tatziki / melitzanosalata, roasted eggplant puree / and tirokafteri, spicy feta spread.

I got the spanikopita for my entree.

And we tried something fun for dessert – ekmek, a bread pudding-baklava mash up with syrup-soaked shredded phyllo, custard, and whipped cream.

I leaned into the weather and made us big steamy bowls of chili.  A loose version of this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats that is our favorite.  The baked beans take it over the top.

I topped my bowl with sharp cheddar, plain Greek yogurt, and tons of Sriracha.

Our leftovers turned into cheese fries!  Waffle fries / cheese – TJ’s 3 cheese blend / chili / bacon leftover duck.  Plus green beans for something green.

And yesterday I made buffalo chicken meatballs.  Ground chicken / panade / buffalo sauce / egg / cream cheese / cheddar.  Plus sauteed carrots and celery to stay on theme.

It’s supposed to warm up this weekend, woo-hoo!