Weekly Wrap-Up; By The Day

by Emily

Hey there, long time no see! Sadly I think a once a week post will be the norm for the next two weeks as well; we are on the move!

We don’t actually officially leave Buffalo until the end of the month, but due to some monetary/logistical/fmylife complications we are moving the most difficult way possible – in little spurts. Adam has had to be in the city several time this month so we’ve been packing up our stuff by the carload and moving it to my in-laws’ place. Once we finally get into our new apartment (days after Adam has started work!!) we’ll pick everything up in a truck for the final move.

Two fun facts about our shit-show of a move –

We had to do the bulk of our packing last night so the duffle bag of clothes sitting next to me will be all I have to wear for the next three weeks. Also, we have no pots, pans, or kitchen appliances. Next week’s wrap-up will showcase a lot of restaurant meals!
Since we couldn’t rent a truck for this direction, we are only taking what fits in five carloads (three in a Vibe and two in a Corolla). We’ve had to say “bye, bye” to a lot of stuff, which has been very cathartic.

On to the food!

I was too busy to capture all of my meals (I worked most days, though I did find time to watch the entire first season of Longmire!) but I did manage a photo of at least one meal on most days. I was a bit under the weather this week and I spent the entirety of Thursday in bed, eating pretzels.

Monday, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield

One of our favorite couples recently had twin baby girls so we brought them over a couple of meals.

Buffalo Chicken Baked Pasta, Mac and Three Cheese Cups, and salad with all the fixin’s (parmesan, buckwheat groats, chopped green pepper, and toasted pecans).

We stayed for dinner so we could meet the girls.

The were so freaking cute; we’ve decided not to spawn until after the husband’s first year of residency and the babies made me want to rethink about that decision!

When we got home I tried one of the Lindt Hello Bars for dessert.

I tried Strawberry Cheesecake and in addition to being adorable it was delicious.

It had the perfect amount of tang to offset the sweetness, bits of crunch that I believe were caramelized sugar, and you got a nice portion for the calories. I tried the Cookies and Cream bar another day and liked that as well.

Tuesday, Thai Day

I stir-fried some leftover white rice with peas and carrots.

I made it extra eggy – two large eggs for one portion – and it was perfect for breakfast.

Stir-fried rice is one of the dishes I find the easiest to make; it always tastes good.

I did Thai for dinner as well. Some friends and I met up after work to try Taste of Siam, a new spot right across from my job.

My Pad Kee Mao got bonus points for being super spicy, but there was way too much liquid and the broad rice noodles weren’t very pillowy. My friends loved their fried rice and curry though. If we were staying in our apartment I’m sure I would have gotten take-out there, but overall I didn’t think it was very good.

We got drinks before dinner and afterwards we did a throw-back for dessert.

Do you remember Chupa Chups?! My strawberry sundae pop was delicious; if I spot them again I will definitely buy more.

Wednesday, Similar to a Reuben

I cannot for the life of me remember what I ate this day beyond lunch; probably pizza! This sandwich made for a fine mid-day meal.

Applegate Farms sliced turkey, Cabot 75% reduced-fat sharp cheddar, thousand island dressing, and saurkraut on white-whole-wheat bread cooked in a skillet with butter.

Friday, Feel Better Froyo

In the morning I met up with friends for breakfast at Sweetness 7.

I got a turkey and caramelized onion quiche,

and a hibiscus lemonade.

Both were very bland, sadly, and the service/ordering system seemed off. Instead of calling out drinks or putting them with the food, they just plopped them on a tucked away, back counter. And I tried to get a coffee at their other location this morning and the service was so bad there that I left without ordering! I’m not sure what the deal is, but I loved Sweetness 7 so I hope they’re not on a downward slope.

After breakfast I ran some errands (my cell phone was broken again!), grabbed lunch, and headed to work. I felt fine in the morning, but as the afternoon wore on I felt sicker and sicker. I ended up throwing up at work!! Boo! I rallied afterwards and stuck out my shift, but it was not a fun time.

This next photo doesn’t look like “dinner,” but after my tough day it was exactly what I needed.

Froyo! Super delicious froyo with peanut butter, marshmallow, chocolate pretzels, and other amazing things. I cannot believe that right as I leave Buffalo two self-serve froyo locations have appeared on my block! Though not having immediate access to it the last three years did probably save me many pounds and dollars.

Saturday, I Like to Move it Move it

Yesterday was ridiculous; y’all would not even believe how much we got done. But not a single fruit or veggetable was eaten that day…

Black bean nachos from ETS.

Melonhead beer (like Pumpkinhead) from Shipyard.

It was super juicy and refreshing; just what I needed as we packed late into the night.

Sunday, Finish the Fridge

For breakfast today, I made us a Finish Up the Fridge Fritatta.

9 large eggs / .5 cup shredded parmesan / 1 cup thawed and drained frozen spinach / pinch salt / pinch paprika

Mix, pour in a greased pie pan, and bake 35 – 40 minutes at 375 degrees Farenheit.

I had my slice with a piece of rosemary bread from Wegman’s bakery.

It was a great way to start the week!

What was the most difficult move your family has even done?

10Jun2013

Weekly Wrap-Up

by Emily

I’ve stopped doing daily posts for the time being, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped eating – and occasionally photographing – delicious things. Once we’ve moved and things have settled down I’ll try to post more regularly, but for now I want to at least do a weekly wrap-up of some of the more scrumptious things I’ve eaten. I’m going to borrow the style of Kath’s Lately posts for these.

A lot is missing, I don’t have any lunches and several slices of pizza went uncaptured, but here are some of the highlights from last week…

Breakfasts

I bought an amazing container of fresh blackberries early in the week and enjoyed them greatly. They started getting soft so I put the last few servings in the freezer and I’m very much looking forward to reheating them. First up, Dannon Oikos Café Latte Greek Yogurt with blackberries and a blend of peanut and coconut butter.

Cinnamon Pecan Special K with Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk and more blackberries.

This cereal is so tasty; it’s got a granola-like texture but with far less calories.

A Dr. McDougall’s Peach and Hemp Oatmeal, eaten at work with a packet of Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter.

This oatmeal couldn’t hold a candle to my beloved Quaker cups. It was quite gummy and strange, though I did eat all of the bites with hazelnut butter on them 😉

Snacks

I finally got a chance to try some of my shipment of the Larabar ALT line. Lemon Pound Cake and Peanut Butter Cookie.

The verdict was – I’m a fan; though I’ll admit to being less excited to try the other two flavors. The texture was gritty sand, but in a great way, and the flavors were spot on. I shared the lemon bar with a coworker and she said to tell y’all she liked it a lot.

On Monday, Adam, a friend, and I drove over to Williamsville to check out one of our new froyo spots – Red Mango.

I did plain tart with tons of popping boba. They had kiwi boba, a new experience for me. Confession time though: I couldn’t finish that whole cup! Who am I??

Dinners

Also on Monday, we spent the evening with another group of friends, saying goodbye to a doctor who was heading off to California. As Adam and his friends all head off to their residencies we are having to say a lot of goodbyes. We ate dinner at Mezza.

A Shish Tawouk wrap – cubed marinated chicken breast, garlic spread, sweet coleslaw, and French fries, all wrapped together and grilled – with a Feta Fattouch salad. My food was delicious, as was the diet coke with strawberry vodka I sipped from the bar.

We drank at Blue Monk before heading to dinner and I tried my first taste of mussels.

I’ve always been wimpy about shelled seafood, but they were fantastic! It helped that they were cooked with Ommegang Witte, lemon, leeks, garlic, parsley and cream.

We also ate dinner out last night. I’ve wanted to try 99 Fast Food for years and Sunday after work it was finally my time. Unfortunately all of the pho was made with beef broth so I couldn’t partake, but I did have a nice meal of tofu broccoli ginger stir-fry.

We tried a Vietnamese Pudding for dessert.

It was more of a drink than a pudding, red bean with sweetened coconut milk.

On Friday night I hurried home from work so we could get a little gussied.

My bosses generously gave me their tickets to the Mash Bash, an army-themed fundraiser.

I was literally the only person in the room not in green, so embarrassing!

There wasn’t a ton of food there that I could eat, but each ticket came with two drinks and Adam ate my share of pulled pork sandwich.

Most of my home-cooked meals flopped this week, but I did have one success with a little help from Coleman’s Mustard.

The company sent me a tin of powder to try {free sample, please note!}, along with a recipe for dressing –

Colman’s Chili Vinaigrette

4 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Colman’s Original Powdered Mustard
4 “splashes” mild green Tabasco sauce
½ cup lemon juice
2 tsp. honey

I whipped up a batch for salads; a spring lettuce based topped with English Cotswold cheese, buckwheat groats, and roasted asparagus.

It was a good week!

6Jun2013

A Final Trip To Toronto

by Emily

We are leaving Buffalo in just three short weeks (there is a post on that to come!) and we’ve amassed a long list of “must-do’s” before we leave the area for good. Topping our list was a final day trip to Toronto.

We headed North on Wednesday and ate, and walked, and ate some more! Adam and I both decided that it was our best trip this year.

We started our travels at the St. Lawrence Market.

How had I not heard about this foodie heaven before?! It was a Canadian Reading Market or Faneuil Hall, packed with goodies. Adam got freshly made potato and cheddar pierogi with fried onions and sour cream.

I went with macarons.

They were beyond swoon-worthy. Maple toffee and Crème brûlée .

The texture was perfect, and yet, the utterly amazing macarons were not even the best thing I ate all day.

From the market, we drove to Bloor Street, where we parked and continued on foot. Usually we head to Bloor St. for froyo, but today we had a new destination.

BNC Cake House has been on my to-do list for two long years, ever since I starred this post from Callie in my Google Reader. Her description of Pat Bing Soo, or shaved ice, has basically haunted my dreams – “A bed of shaved ice … topped with red bean paste, assorted fruits, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and condensed milk.”

You guys, it was even better than I was hoping/expecting.

The sweet condensed milk and tangy vanilla frozen yogurt melted down into the shaved ice and melded into something amazing. The best analogy I have for the texture is to liken it to the Dairy Queen frozen hot chocolates I was obsessed with all year.

We ate every single bite.

To finish the day, we walked over to Koreatown for some grown up food at Pho88. Actually, I kept my sugar-buzz going just a bit longer with an egg yolk soda.

I tried this drink for the first time way back in 2009 (that link goes to my old blog! when we were living in Brooklyn) but thanks to Pho88’s menu I finally know what’s in it: club soda, egg yolk, and condensed milk. I adored it, the flavor is lightened-up egg cream.

I ordered grilled chicken and spring roll vermicelli for my meal.

I couldn’t eat much of my chicken since I’m not really a dark meat fan but that was fine, I mostly wanted to use the noodles and veggies as a base for all of the fabulous, spicy sauces sitting on our table.

I may have left food on my plate but Adam’s was practically licked clean.

He got grilled pork chop and rice with fried egg and he described his meal as “perfect.”

Perfect is how I would describe the day! We laughed as we wandered through Koreatown that our very favorite way to vacation is to spend the days walking and eating. Goodbye for now Toronto, I’m sure we will make our way back someday!

Have you ever tried pat bing soo? What is your favorite vacation activity?

31May2013

Winner Dinners

by Emily

I thought it would be fun to share a few of our more successful dinners from the past week. Working every day has meant that my lunches have been lame, but somehow my increased work schedule hasn’t killed my dinner motivation yet. There have been some great breakfasts and snacks too (example – we tried the very famous Paula’s Doughnuts for the first time the other day) but my camera hasn’t been handy for those!

~Smoked herring salad with soft pretzels.

I bought these Smoked Herring Kipper Fillets from Trader Joe’s on my last trip to Ohio and they were flipping delicious. I’ve been having a hard time with animal proteins lately (the texture has been throwing me) but these were so smokey good that they went down easily.

For the salad Adam and I split the can, mashed with mayo, pink salt, and green pepper and carrots shredded with the finest side of our grater.

The pretzels were consumed with a copious amount of yellow mustard. We also had pudding for dessert but I didn’t take a picture because we ate it straight from the mixing bowl.

~Hot dogs with ketchup and kraut.

We had our dogs a day later than planned, on Tuesday, because I ended up spending Memorial Day in bed. Literally the whole day; we brought in the laptop and became newly obsessed with both “Arrested Development” and “Fringe.” This meal was worth the wait though.

Applegate Farms turkey hot dogs topped with ketchup and sauerkraut,

served with roasted asparagus and a new Ruffle’s product called Crispy Cheese Fries.

The “fries” were about as good as you’d expect (not very) but the turkey hot dogs were amazing. I did not grow up eating hot dogs so there’s no nostalgia here, but I found this meal to be very pleasing.

~Turkey reubens with roasted broccoli.

We had to use up the rest of the sauerkraut from the hot dogs and what better way to use it than on toasty turkey reubens? Wegman’s bakery rye topped with 1000 island dressing, sliced turkey, slices of provolone (Adam hates Swiss), and sauerkraut, then pressed the sandwiches in our George Foreman grill.

Plus roasted broccoli on the side.

Tonight’s dinner is going to be a, much less healthy, plate of cheesy fries. I’m off to get them out of the oven now!

30May2013

#6 – Make My Own Gnocchi

by Emily

My 28th birthday is 55 days away! That means I have 55 days left work on my birthday goals list.

As of now I’ve completed 19/27 goals. Unfortunately, it looks as if there is no way on Earth some of the goals will happen. I haven’t worked out in months (mega oops) so I don’t think my running goals – both distance and speed based – are in the cards. But the food based goals? I’ve got those covered.

Like making gnocchi my own gnocchi from scratch.

This goal was delicious to complete! And it was surprisingly easy, too. With less than an hour of hands-on time we pulled pillows of heaven from ~~thin air~~ mashed potatoes.

I followed this recipe from Cooking Light for the gnocchi. But instead of their sauce I tossed my gnocchi in a mix of lemon and brown butter and served them atop a bed of lemon and butter sautéed spinach. The final taste was out of this world.

Will we be making gnocchi from scratch ever again? Adam and I both say “yes!”

Have you ever made gnocchi, or any other kind of pasta, from scratch?

28May2013

Highlights From OBX

by Emily

Hey there! Long time no see! It has been, and is going to be, a crazy summer.

Among other things, I went to the Outer Banks last week (whee!).

My in-laws took Adam and me for a couple of days and we had a glorious time. We beached,

climbed the sand dunes,

got a large chocolate-strawberry diet coke from Sonic that rocked my face off,

and met a Flutter Pony.

You don’t even want to know how excited I was about that damn horse statue.

We went to climb the sand dunes in between my spotting the pony and taking my picture with it and I muttered to Adam about The Smooze the whole time. <– if you got that reference I will kiss you on the mouth

I know I’m behind the times, but I want to post some of our trip eats highlights anyway, mostly so I have a record of them for the next time we visit OBX. This was a trip where sharing meant caring; the only meals Adam and I didn’t split were dessert!

Lunch at Mulligan’s.

Coastal Carolina She-Crab soup.

This was basically a giant bowl of crab meat; ah-maze-ing! We also swooned over the sherry floater.

California style fish tacos.

Soft tortillas with local fried fish, cilantro-lime slaw, pico de gallo, and Cajun tartar sauce. This was our first meal in NC and it set a great tone for the rest of the trip.

BBQ at Sooey’s.

Pulled chicken platter with cole slaw, hush puppies, and fried okra.

This stop was a repeat from my first OBX visit and I’m so glad we went back. Those were the best fried okra I’ve ever had, I was shoving them into my mouth by the handful!

Breakfast at The Dunes Restaurant.

We got the Greek omelet (spinach, tomato, and feta) with asparagus. It came with hash-browns and a side and since we were splitting they let us do one hotcake and one biscuit. Even with two of us eating we couldn’t finish that giant plate of food.

Froyo at The Surfin’ Spoon.

Such good topping options! I got a little bit of yogurt with marshmallow fluff, peanut butter topping, bananas, and reese’s peanut butter cups.

Like a fluffernutter in froyo form!

Also, froyo at Wild Berry.

The yogurt flavors weren’t anything new, but the toppings bar boasted sweetened condensed milk!!! I was definitely in heaven.

All in all, it was a tasty, terrific trip.

21May2013

Fun In Fruit

by Emily

The title says it pretty well, I just wanted to post about a few fun fruit-based things I’ve brought home lately. Half I’ve tasted and half I haven’t, but I’m excited about them all.

Unless otherwise noted*, products were purchased with my own money and I was not compensated for posting about them; I just wanted to share.

1. Outshine Coconut Waters with Banana popsicles. {tried – pretty good}

Allergies have been killing my throat for weeks and I bought these on a whim the other day. They were nowhere near as satisfying as the rainbow sherbet I ended up with later, but they are a good summer treat. They don’t have a ton of flavor, but each bar has only 60 calories and they are nice to cool down with.

2. Cherimoya fruit. {excited to try}

Adam and I love to try new produce when it pops up and I’ve heard cherimoyas described as “custard apples” so I knew we had to try this one, $7 price tag and all. Unfortunately I got a little too excited and stored it in the fridge before I read that they are supposed to stay at room-temperature until they are ripe. Whenever it is actually ready to eat I’ll be sure to let you guys know what we think!

3. Synergy Mystic Mango Kombucha. {tried – flipping amazing}

Oh my goodness, guys, this stuff is the official “sweet nectar of the gods.” The texture was so thick and perfect on my throat. Mystic mango is from GT’s “Enlightened Synergy” line, so maybe that’s the difference, but the flavor was much less vinegar-based than the Kombuchas I’ve had in the past. This was pure mango. A bottle has 100 calories total and is very satisfying.

4. Larabar’s new ALT line.* {excited to try}

NOTE: These bars were sent to me by Larabar free of charge so I could try their new line. I was not compensated for posting, but I do plan on sharing my thoughts as I taste through the line.

From the company: “ALT, the Alternative Protein Bar™, is the first-ever bar with added protein from LÄRABAR! Many bar brands use soy or whey protein, but ALT uses an alternative protein source: peas. Vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and non-GMO, ALT also uses a wrapper that is 31% renewable.”

The line comes in Cinnamon Apple Crisp, Lemon Pound Cake, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Pumpkin Pie. The bars have 10 grams of protein each and each flavor has between 210 and 240 calories.

20May2013

Peanut Butter S’mores Layer Bars

by Emily

Exciting news – on Saturday I officially graduated from my final undergrad experience with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics!!! I guess I shouldn’t say officially, since I skipped graduation to hang out with Adam and his brother, but I’ve got a diploma coming in the mail any day now. I didn’t need to walk again, I did that with my first undergrad degree. <– blush

Besides, we already had our ceremonial, holding back tears, class goodbye. On Friday, one of our teachers sweetly hosted a goodbye lunch for our whole 18-person Coordinated Program at her home. My friend and I brought jello shots! The afternoon gets a little hazy after that, but I do remember everyone raving over the other thing I brought: peanut butter s’mores layer bars.

I know, I know; I’m having a weird obsession with layer bars lately. These guys are worth the repeat though. The combo of peanut butter and s’more is to die for, and they come together in a snap. Modeled after 7-layer bars, they are chewy, gooey perfection.

Peanut Butter S’mores Layer Bars, makes 25 squares

11 graham cracker sheets, crushed
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup salted cocktail peanuts
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3 cups mini marshmallows
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
Place butter in a 9×9 inch baking dish in the pre-heating oven until melted.
Pour graham cracker crumbs into melted butter, mix together with a fork, and press into a thin, even layer in the bottom of the baking dish.
Sprinkle peanuts, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chips in an even layer over the crust, alternating ingredients so they are mixed together rather than in layers. Top with marshmallows. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk on top.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the sweetened condensed milk no longer looks soupy.
Allow to cool before cutting into squares. You can serve these right away, but if there is a time gap I recommend storing them in the freezer so that they get nice and firm.