Screamsickle

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Highlights from the past week include…

Chobani pumpkin spice Greek yogurt with strawberries, granola, and chia seeds.

Noosa pumpkin yogurt with blackberries and granola.

See also – I really enjoyed this Elleno’s Greek yogurt with lemon curd.

As much as I love potato chips I also really like things that are pretending to be potato chips. Wilde’s chicken chips (this chicken and waffles variety is my favorite).

Biena’s Hawaiian bbq chickpea and veggie crisps.

Local pumpkin beers. Bronx Brewery’s Tattooed Pumpkin IPA (7.5/10) and Blue Point’s Big Mother Pumpkin imperial pumpkin ale (8.5/10).

Also local, also for spooky season – Sixpoint’s Screamsickle orange and vanilla hazy DIPA (8.5/10).

A fun date night – Adam and I went out to For Five Coffee for these tasty churro pancakes with dulce de leche drizzle, chocolate pearls, and horchatta ice cream.

Pumpkin Month pasta. Trader Joe’s butternut squash pasta with roasted zucchini, Seemore’s chicken kale pesto sausage, and Sauces n Love pink pesto sauce. [note to future Emily – we did not like the pink pesto!]

Fantastic noodles and veggie bowls. Whole-wheat vermicelli / nom choc / chicken breast cooked in the crockpot with soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime, ginger, and honey / roasted brussel sprouts / chili crisp.

Turkey reuben inspired sheet-pan hash. We loved this! Roasted potatoes and cabbage with smoked turkey, sourkraut, and homemade 1000 island dressing.

PB&J

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Highlights from the weekend include…

Peanut butter and jelly protein bites – good.

Peanut butter and jelly Chip cookie – better.

An epic seasonal Southern Tier combo. *swoon*

Not seasonal but still good – Trader Joe’s starfruit sparkling water.

PSA – Whole Foods’ unseasoned microwaved popcorn is perfect. This bowl was both buttered and seasoned!

There is a new sushi spot near us and I am obsessed with their avocado bomb (stuffed with spicy tuna).

A simple but satisfying sandwich – smoked turkey, gouda, and mayo on a whole-wheat bun. Plus a mountain on roasted green beans.

Gourdgeous

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This week’s highlights were… pumpkin snacks and random dinners.

I made Hummingbird High’s pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They are insanely good.

Siggi’s pumpkin spice skyr with blackberries and granola.

Trader Joe’s vanilla bean Greek yogurt with pumpkin puree, maple syrup, chia seeds, blackberries, and grnola.

Pumpkin pie smoothie. Pumpkin puree with milk, plain Greek yogurt, frozen banana, maple syrup, cinnamon, and mace.

Trader Joe’s scallion pancake / canned salmon with mayo and Sriracha / roasted zucchini / all topped with Kewpie, Sriracha, and furikake.

Roasted cauliflower and chicken salad – shredded chicken breasts, mayo, yellow mustard, honey mustard dressing, and roasted almonds slivers with Sichuan salt.

Breakfast burger sandwiches. Whole Foods’ plant-based burgers, gouda, and a fried egg on a whole-wheat bun with blueberry jam. Plus leftover cauliflower.

Boo-zy

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Highlights from last week included…

Chameleon cinnamon vanilla cold brew.

Is it supposed to be a balanced breakfast or a gourd-based breakfast? La Colombe pumpkin spice canned coffee plus Perfect Bar’s pumpkin pie seasonal flavor.

Lifeway pumpkin spice kefir. I am on a years’ long hunt for the eggnog version.

Trader Joe’s pumpkin Greek yogurt with plucot, chia seeds, and granola.

We liked but didn’t love Elysian’s Night Owl pumpkin ale.

Trader Joe’s Howling Gourds pumpkin ale makes it into Adam’s top five favorite beers.

And Southern Tier’s canned craft cocktail of their Pumpking whiskey and cola is officially in both of our top five for all-time-favorite beverages. I bought this months ago and squirreled it away and devestatingly I have been unable to find it again.

The nights we didn’t get take-out (we’ve had kind of crazy work weeks) we hit it out of the park with what we cooked for dinners. Super salad night – local lettuce with miso caesar dressing, bacon-flavored crunchy mung beans, Gardein vegan crab cakes, red bell pepper, and avocado.

Broiled salmon with a miso glaze plus baked green beans. Adam had his with rice but I went with bbq potato chips.

Emily Mariko style salmon bowls! Plus a side of smashed cucumber salad.

Pumpkin Month

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FYI – It’s Pumpkin Month! Here is this year’s stash…

Even more exciting – we went glamping on the waterfront in Greenpoint and got to enjoy the perfect view.

And the boy came with us!! The three of us had a wonderful time.

Highlights from the weekend…

I ended Apple Month with a homemade cinnamon apple pie cocktail.

And I started Pumpkin Month with a Pump Rock from Sweetleaf. Their Rocket Fuel (cold brew concentrate with chicory, maple syrup, and milk) with the addition of pumpkin spice syrup.

We also loved a maple spice latte from Southdown.

Cherry cola shave ice from Sea Cliff.

This Sriracha shrimp bowl from Trader Joe’s has held the title of my favorite frozen meal for more than a year.

Fries with beer cheese and short ribs from Greenpoint Brewery; all three of us were smitten.

Best meal of the month – takeout from Elder Greene. We shared crispy brussel sprouts with goat cheese and maple walnut aioli / The Burger – LaFrieda short rib blend, cheddar, American, pickles, onion, and special sauce / and a Waygu burger with white cheddar, arugula, lemon herb aioli, and a brioche bun.

Maple Ice Cream

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I hope all of my readers and safe and not having horrible weather! If the rain isn’t too terrible in NYC this weekend Adam and I have some fun plans for tomorrow.

Highlights from this week included…

Greek yogurt bowl with chia, maple syrup, granola, plucot, and blueberries.

Apple snack plate. Apple pie rice cakes, dried apples, apple cider caramels, and smoked almonds.

Butterfly pea tea and matcha iced latte.

I impulse-bought some very fun desserts for the week. Refridgerated creme brulee! It came with little packets of crunchy sugar for the topping.

This Trader Joe’s salted maple ice cream was great; wonderful consistency.

Yummy homemade chicken congee. With brown rice, chicken thighs, and vinegary greens (kale and red chard sauteed with soy sauce, gojuchang, and rice vinegar). Topped with crushed peanuts and tons of chili crisp.

Buffalo chicken pasta salad. Whole-wheat pasta / chicken sausage / blue cheese / sauteed carrot, celery, and green onion / sauce made out of mayo, vinegar, and Frank’s buffalo sauce.

One Last Week Of Apple Month

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Highlights from the past week included…

Over Easy apple cinnamon breakfast bar.

A yogurt bowl with Trader Joe’s honeycrisp apple cinnamon Greek yogurt. Plus granola nut butter, granola, and fresh bluberries.

My mom sent me a giant box of apple cider caramels for Apple Month! The spiced apple pie and apple brandy flavors were my favorite. I brought in a bunch for my coworkers and they loved them too. (Sidenote – they had no idea what Apple Month was. And when I brought in brownies for Rex Manning Day they had never heard of Empire Records, so they’re on thin ice!)

We finally got to try the much-lauded chocolate-stuff croissant from Lafayette Bakery.

Also treats from La Cabra. A rye and lemon tart and a cardamom twist.

And we had a fantastic lunch date at Yellow Rose. We shared chips and salsa.

A mezal margarita.

Sherry Cherry Coke, coca cola with sherry and jammy sour cherries.

Beef tacos.

Buttermilk chicken salad with Ruby Frost apples, pecans, and celery on Texas toast.

Rainbow, Sprinkle

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Highlights from a quite tasty weekend —

Whistle and Fizz. We got a black sesame latte and a yuzu mint lemonade.

Fantastic espresso pain au chocolat from Librae Bakery.

Banana bars. I hated the Misfits one (I tried another flavor from them and hated that too, will not buy again) but loved the Bob’s Red Mill.

Tuna snack plate. Crackers, bell pepper, and a packet of spicy thai chili tuna.

Our first trip (of hopefully many!) to Lady Wong. We loved the coconut pandan steamed rainbow cake.

More rainbow – I added sprinkles to my epic Hanoi Dessert Shop sundae. Bright Eyes: vanilla soft serve, hot fudge, egg custard, chocolate sesame crunch, and Vietnamese coffee over crushed ice.

Cheese plate dinner! Mini brie / bell pepper / feta dip / cheddar crisps / seasoned pretzels / chocolate sea salt almonds / beef bacon / apple pie rice cakes / extra-sharp cheddar / smoked almonds / crackers / dried apples.

Plant-based chicken tenders plus chicken-based chips with roasted green beans and honey mustard.

A feast at Au Za’atar. We shared fried halloum with garlic, honey, and olive oil.

Plus Dalaa Mahshi, braised lamb shoulder with seasoned rice. The meat was amazing, particularly when paired with the complimentary pickles and garlic tahini.